Source: (2002) In, John G. Perry, ed. Repairing Communities Through Restorative Justice. Lanham, MD : American Correctional Association. Pp. 141-152.
“When a crime occurs, those people who have been impacted are at a crossroads; there are dangers and opportunities. The community response will determine whether movement is in the direction of danger or opportunity. The danger is that the primary offender(s) and victim(s) emerge from the response feeling disrespected, disempowered, alienated, and less inclined to cooperate with the community. The opportunity is for the response to leave them feeling safe, cared for, respected, empowered, restored, and more inclined to cooperate with the community.
“The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) provides a structure and trained facilitators or mediators to assist the most impacted parties in deciding how they want to respond. For those who are interested in searching for the opportunity, the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program provides people and processes to assist them.” (excerpt)
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