Family Group Conferencing Circles: A Case Study

Family group conferencing is akin to victim-offender mediation, however, it expands the group of participants to incorporate family members, friends, teachers, and other close individuals in the lives of both the offender and the victim. The process is begun by an individual initial meeting with the facilitator and the participants and is then followed by the actual family group conference where a police officer or a social worker reads the charges against the offender, the victim is given the first opportunity to share their experience and the impact of the crime, and the offender is then allowed to respond and answer the victim’s questions. In addition, the entire group collectively develops a plan – including restitution, prevention, support,

Today, circles are heavily used in aboriginal communities in Canada and by Native American people through Navajo Peacemaking Courts. Victims receive self-validation from circles, while offenders are afforded the opportunity to “explore options on how they will make reparations and how they can reintegrate into society.” Oftentimes, circles involve the community in the decision making process, as a main principle of restorative justice is the “empowerment of the community to be involved in deciding what is to be done in the particular case and to address underlying problems that may have led to the crime.” In addition, circles are value and moral driven, thriving on the values of “respect, honesty, listening, truth, sharing, and others.” Like the other restorative justice processes, participation in circles is voluntary and the offender must be willing to accept guilt and agree to engage in meaningful and genuine participation in the circle. The traditional process for circles, which is generally used as a replacement for a traditional trial, includes 1) the offender submitting an application for the process, 2) the victim engaging in a private healing circle, 3) the offender engaging in a private healing circle, 4) all-inclusive

The Act introduced the idea of family group conferencing – a practice adopted from the Maori people of New Zealand, in which offenders, victims and their supporters meet face-to-face to repair the harm caused by crimes – and it has applied to youth court proceedings involving juvenile offenders aged fourteen to seventeen, with the primary objective of strengthening the ability of families to keep their children in their homes, hold their children accountable for their wrongdoings, and encouraging them to develop law-abiding and socially dynamic ways. Restorative justice encompasses primarily the entire juvenile justice system in New Zealand and its use has strongly influenced the use of restorative justice approaches in its adult