By Margot Fleischman
Have you ever made a mistake and wished you had the chance to make amends? How would you have reached out to the people you hurt to apologize? What would you have said or done to put things right?
These are the questions at the heart of Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ). Through its partnership with the Bedford Police Department, C4RJ provides the town of Bedford and its residents a program that responds to crime in ways that “heal, hold accountable, and put right.”
Maybe you know someone who has participated with C4RJ – as a victim, an offender, or a community representative – or maybe you can only imagine what this experience must be like.
If you haven’t heard of C4RJ, you are not alone. Because its process is confidential, the individuals and families who participate in a C4RJ case can rest assured no one will know the details of their situation, and that their dignity and privacy will always be respected. That also means most of us may not know how restorative justice works.
C4RJ recognizes that crime is not just a violation of law, but is a violation of people, relationships and community. Through their work, C4RJ helps to repair trust, promote accountability, and increase feelings of public safety.
A C4RJ case usually begins with a referral from the police following an incident or offense. It could involve vandalism, shoplifting, a hoax, cyber bullying, or an argument that got heated – and someone, perhaps a young person, is in trouble.
So what happens next?
Well, if Bedford only took a traditional approach, that young person might be charged with a serious crime. Maybe there would be lawyers and court costs, and in the end, there might be a decision and justice. But would it be enough justice or too much? Would the young person have learned a lesson? Would he or she have a criminal record? And what about the people who were victimized – would their needs and wishes be taken into account?
Luckily, Bedford has the option to use a restorative approach instead. C4RJ provides the safe space for victims and offenders, their families, and members of the community to come together to discuss the full impact of the offense and decide how to repair the damage. When cases are referred to C4RJ instead of processing an offender in court, valuable court resources and tax dollars are saved.
Following an initial intake process, C4RJ hosts an opening circle that brings together everyone involved, including a police officer and C4RJ volunteer facilitators, for a respectful and often emotional discussion that reveals how everyone has been affected and how things could be made right. The circle process gives all participants the chance to be heard. Thinking of our hypothetical young person in trouble, you can imagine how embarrassed and hurt his or her parents might be, perhaps worried about their child’s future. You can imagine how vulnerable the victim may have felt, wondering why this bad thing had happened, and how to get past it. You can imagine how concerned people in the community might be about the crime, and how eager everyone would be to restore the delicate fabric of small-town life.
Following this opening circle, C4RJ facilitators work with the offender to complete reflective exercises, apology letters, community service, restitution, and anything else required in the signed restorative agreement. This agreement provides accountability and ensures the victim’s needs are served in a safe and caring way and that both victim and offender are supported. When the agreement items have been completed, each case ends with a closing circle, where all the participants return to hear what the offender has done and learned going forward.
The results of C4RJ’s program can be heard in the words of some of the real people who have gone through the process: “It makes a big difference to me personally to get to meet the shoplifter in a circle and get to say what impact they’ve had,” a merchant remarks. “I appreciate that the circle supported me in helping this guy understand how out of control he’d been,” an assault victim reports. “You’ve given me back a different child,” reflects the mother of a teenaged offender.
When given a chance to face the ramifications of their actions, the severity of the possible punishment and the many levels of impact, offenders often have an “Aha!” moment. “I didn’t realize how easy it would have been to be charged with a felony,” one young person reflected. “I didn’t realize the impact my actions had.”
Two people in the program explain how participating in the process has affected them: “I never thought the police would be advocating for me but they are the ones who wanted me to have this second chance.” “In the circle I had the opportunity to not only hear about the impact of my actions, but also see how many people wanted to help me straighten my life out.”
From the vantage point of law enforcement Bedford’s Police Chief Robert Bongiorno considers C4RJ “one of the truly great police-community partnerships we enjoy today.” With a long history of involvement with restorative justice, Chief Bongiorno has a deep understanding of what this partnership means to a police department: “Today, police understand the need to do more than just ‘lock up the bad guy,’ and C4RJ gives us that option. Make no mistake, Restorative Justice is not ‘warm and fuzzy’ nor is it ‘hug a thug.” Offenders come away with a better understanding of the impact their crime has had on the community, they are held accountable, and they are required to repair the harm they have caused. Most importantly the victims have a voice.”
As a community, Bedford strives to address problems thoughtfully and effectively. We uphold the values of respect and compassion, and we take seriously the responsibility to raise successful young people. Through Bedford’s collaboration with C4RJ, we have given ourselves the opportunity to de-escalate conflict and address harms, draw greater understanding and empathy from one other, and make a positive difference in peoples’ lives when bad things happen.
C4RJ has been hard at work helping us uphold these values when victims and offenders in Bedford have needed them. This is why C4RJ is worth knowing about. Hopefully you will never need it, but if you do, C4RJ will be there for you and your family as well.
About Keeping the Peace
Keeping the Peace is sponsored by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Bedford, a representative group of citizens interested in ending violence in families, communities, and beyond. Margot Fleischman is liaison from the Bedford Selectmen, a constituent member of VPC and also the Vice-Chair of Communities for Restorative Justice.
The VPC meets the first Tuesday of every other month at 7:30 a.m. at First Church of Christ Congregational, 25 the Great Road, Bedford. For more information call 781/275-7951.
For more information about C4RJ, or to learn how you can get involved, visit www.c4rj.com
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