Greater Barre Community Justice Center

Creating understanding and resolution together

Programs of the GBCJC

Reparative Boards: A Program by which victims of crimes and communities work together to hold responsible parties of an incident accountable and make things right. Reparative Probation is a community-sponsored probation program (cases come from court sentencing). Victims and others affected by the crime are invited to participate, the responsible parties and community members trained in restorative justice address what happened, who was harmed and how, what is needed to repair the harm. A plan is collectively created to repair the harm and make amends, as well as address prevention of future offenses.
Restorative Justice Alternative Program: The Restorative Justice Alternative Program encourages people responsible for an offense and those who were affected by it to take an active role in determining what should happen as a result. Restorative responses to crime look at the effect on others and on the community and stress the importance of repairing the harm and restoring relations. Referrals come from State's Attorney, Police, schools, city government and the community.We address cases with various processes, several are described here:
Mediation Program: A confidential process where a trained impartial third party (mediator) helps two disputing parties have a conversation about an issue. The mediator asks questions, clarifies information, and helps the parties to understand each other, which may produce new information and help them toward a possible solution, with a written agreement resulting. For neighbor and community disputes and interpersonal disagreements resulting in conflict.
Restorative Conferencing: A method of delivering restorative justice, which brings all parties of an incident together: the person who has harmed, and the affected parties. A facilitator follows a restorative process addressing who was harmed and how, and what can be done to make amends. A collective agreement is created.
Restorative Panel: Similar to restorative conferencing with trained community members participating representing the community
Insights Into Conflict Class: A course developed and delivered by the Montpelier Community Justice Center, this course is for people who are referred to the Restorative Justice Alternative Program or to Reparative Probation for committing offenses where conflict has resulted in physical or verbal assault. The intent of the course is to decrease the likelihood of future offending by educating participants about conflict resolution styles, the harm of fighting, and some alternative ways of looking at conflict.
Offender Re-entry: This program addresses community concerns about offenders reentering the community from incarceration, involves community members in planning and providing support to the offender, and holds the offender accountable. The aim is to keep the community safer and the goal is "no more victims". Groups of trained community members "walk" with the offender on Circles of Support and Accountability teams, which meet weekly.
Community Dialogue and Response to Current Community Issues: Forums are organized to invite public dialogue about public and community issues. Forums are custom designed and facilitated to meet the needs of the particular issue and/or participants. Through large and small group work, or door to door conversation, community dialogue can result in better understanding of an issue.
Trainings: In conflict management, communication skills, restorative justice, and mediation. We also collaborate with other organizations to train our volunteers in whatever is needed in order for them to be aware of and knowledgeable about issues they might encounter: victim support, substance abuse, recovery and domestic violence. An example of a training we deliver is:

Spaulding High School Student Restorative Panels: Students represent their school community and meet together with affected parties in a restorative process addressing low level offenses at the school and create a collaborative amends making plan. The aim is to increase student participation in the education and use of restorative justice principals and practices, empower them to create a safe and communicative environment at their school and reduce suspensions and detentions.

History � Principles � Staff � Board of Directors

20 Auditorium Hill, Barre, VT 05641 � 802-476-0276 � barrecjc@sover.net