Marty Price

The American justice system is based on retribution and punishment, but for many younger and first-time offenders, that approach has negative long-term effects. The Social Justice Committee of Davidson United Methodist Church has taken an interest in a new tactic called “restorative justice,” which uses mediation techniques to reconcile offenders, victims and the community.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the committee is sponsoring a day-long forum in Davidson to introduce the idea, and organizers hope it will lead to establishment of the Charlotte region’s first restorative justice program. Marty Price, a lawyer and pioneer in the emerging field of restorative justice, will facilitate the program, which is aimed at law enforcement, educators, churches and citizens. Mr. Price is founder and director of the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program Information and Resource Center, in Asheville. More about his at www.vorp.com or www.restorativejustice.info.

“The goal of restorative justice is to make the three parties in a crime whole again – the victim, the offender and the community,” said Bob Haupt, an organizer and member of the church’s Social Justice Committee. “It has to be cooperative.”

Mr. Haupt said the goal of the Oct. 10 session is to introduce the concept to the community and to take steps to form a restorative justice program in the Charlotte region. About 500 programs currently exist in the U.S., he said, but there are none yet in this area.

WANT TO GO?

SATURDAY, OCT. 10, 10 a.m to 4 p.m., Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 S. Main St. – The Social Justice Committee of Davidson United Methodist Church sponsors a community forum on “Restorative Justice/Victim-Offender Mediation.” Free and open to the public. Lunch provided. Inquire or RSVP by Oct. 5 to Bob Haupt 704-807-5450 or Lorna Bishop 704-892-4754.

MORE INFORMATION

Below is the text of a letter organizers are circulating with more information about the topic and the forum.

The Social Justice Committee at Davidson United Methodist Church has developed an interest in the practice and application of Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice is a different paradigm for understanding crime and justice. It is also a set of programmatic approaches that can work within the criminal and juvenile justice systems, focusing on the need to repair the harm done to crime victims through processes of mediation, victim empowerment, and reparation. It emphasizes the importance of holding offenders accountable for righting the wrongs to their victims, in whatever ways may be possible, while encouraging voluntariness rather than coercion in the process. Restorative Justice emphasizes equal concerns for crime victims, offenders, and the community. Restorative Justice practices include a number of programs, such as victim-offender mediation; restorative or community conferencing; circles of support and accountability; and sentencing circles for addressing the needs of crime victims, the community, and offenders.

Because of the importance of this subject, our committee is organizing a community forum of individuals who would be interested in learning more about restorative justice and exploring the possibilities of using this approach with youthful or first time offenders in Mecklenburg County. We would like to have at least 50 – 60 people attend the forum.
We have contacted Marty Price, J.D. a national/international pioneer and leader in this field, to facilitate a Restorative Justice/Victim-Offender Mediation Community Forum in Davidson, NC this fall. Mr. Price is an attorney and social worker turned mediator. He is the founder and director of the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) Information and Resource Center, based in Asheville, NC. For more about Mr. Price and his work, see www.vorp.com and www.restorativejustice.info. The forum is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, with a tentative schedule from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Our strong desire is to make this event community-wide, involving residents, municipal leaders, faith groups, educators, and criminal justice representatives. We are contacting you to invite you and others from your organization to attend this forum. Please consider your interest in participating in such a training event and let us know if you will attend. Contact Bob Haupt at 704-807-5450 or Lorna Bishop at 704-892-4753 with any questions and to place your name on the list of those attending the forum.

We look forward to your reply and welcome your participation.
Sincerely,

Robert J. Haupt