The Community Conferencing Center: Restorative Practices in Baltimore, Maryland

Source: (2004) Restorative Practices e-Forum. 9 March. Bethlehem, PA: International Institute for Restorative Practices. Downloaded 19 May 2004.

Baltimore, Maryland, is one of the most violent cities in the United States. In this context, the Community Conferencing Center is bringing restorative practices to Baltimore – indeed, to some of the most distressed neighborhoods in the city. Here Laura Mirsky interviews Lauren Abramson, Executive Director of the Center, to learn about the genesis and current state of the Center’s work in Baltimore. Abramson was initially introduced to restorative conferencing in 1994 through contacts in Australia. She began applying community conferencing in 1995 in certain neighborhoods in Baltimore. Eventually, the Community Conferencing Center came into being in 2000. Mirsky, using examples from the Center’s programs, describes how referrals come to the Center, various contexts in which the programs operate, and outcomes of conferences.