Crime is an act humanity. It's disrespectful. It's painful. It's expensive. It's a violation of our rights to live freely and safely as citizens.

Victims of crime lose very basic human concepts. They find it hard to trust, feel insecure and often have high medical or recovery expenses related to the crime. Their general peace of mind is taken away. The justice process should ultimately restore what was taken away from the victim. Not only the law was broken, but the victim feels broken. The process of restorative justice has a priority to attend to the needs of victims and help mend the brokenness.

We encourage victims of crime to define their own needs. If you are a victim of crime, we want to know... "How can we help you?"

• Do you feel safe now?
• Do you need emotional support?
• Do you need restitution for losses?
• Do you want a voice in the resolution of the crime?
• Do you have other needs?

Victims want to know what to expect during the resolution process.

An initial, confidential meeting is held with the victim party to learn about the victim's experience and explain options available within the restorative process. At this stage, the victim is not making a commitment to the process. The victim is learning more about the process and has a chance to be fully heard. The process will go forward only with the victim's voluntary consent.

Other steps will be explained after the initial meeting.

• Resolution conferences have trained facilitators who have already built relationships with all people involved in the case.
• Resolution involves respect toward both the victim and the offender.
• Resolution goes at a pace that you set.
• Resolution honors your preferences as things progress.
• Resolution supports you in a way that helps you move forward.
• Resolution assesses the level of the offender's ownership and remorse.
• Resolution provides the offender with the capability for empathy and new learning.
• Resolution involves reparation from the offender to you.
• Resolution encourages personal change in the offender to move forward in life.

Disputes