Restorative Justice
Victim/Offender Intervention Service (VOIS) is a voluntary program that provides an opportunity for individuals directly affected by crime to actively participate in dealing with the consequences of that crime. The goal of the program is for the parties most affected to have an opportunity to address:
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What happened
-
How it felt when it happened
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Why it happened, and
-
What is needed for restitution and/or reparation
Potential Benefits for Victims:
An opportunity to actively participate in the
process of resolving the incident.
An opportunity to express frustration, loss or trauma as a result of
the crime.
An increased chance of receiving restitution or reparation. An
opportunity to be more fully informed:
-about the incident (motive, method,
background of the offender)
-about
the offender (what kind of person is this?)
-about
the Criminal Justice System and its processes.
An opportunity to experience a sense of
closure.
Potential Benefits
for Offenders:
An opportunity to be aware of the harm
suffered by victims and the community.
An opportunity to “make it right” with the
victim, to acknowledge responsibility and to
do whatever is reasonable and possible to make amends.
To be more fully informed:
-about
the Criminal Justice System and its processes
-about the impact of criminal actions on the
victim and the community.
An opportunity to fully participate in finding a fair and reasonable way to resolve the incident.
