Kris Miner, St. Crix Valley Restrative Justice Prgram SCVRJP 8 February 2014 Eagle s Healing Nest SCVRJP Restrative Justice Center 215 N 2 nd Street, Suite 108 River Falls, WI 54022 715-425-1100 scvrjp@gmail.cm www.scvrjp.rg www.circle-space.rg Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles Building Cmmunity ------- Repairing Harm Simple Harm ------- Serius Wunds Classrms ------- Prisns One time ------- Years Spiritual Mental Emtinal Physical Values Thughts Reactins Actins Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 1
SPARK (thiagi@thiagi.cm - http://thiagi.cm/pfp/ie4h/august2012.html) S is fr selflessness. Help thers withut being asked. P is fr predictability. Deliver what yu prmised, when yu prmised. A is fr authenticity. Be yurself and be happy abut wh yu are. R is fr relatedness. Walk with the kings, withut lsing yur cmmn tuch. K is fr knwledge. Cntinuusly learn and apply useful principles and prcedures. Each f the five factrs is necessary but nt sufficient, try t cultivate all five. Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 2
Restrative Justice Signpsts - Hward Zehr We are wrking tward restrative justice when we...... fcus n the harms f wrngding mre than the rules that have been brken,... shw equal cncern and cmmitment t victims and ffenders, invlving bth in the prcess f justice,... wrk tward the restratin f victims, empwering them and respnding t their needs as they see them,... supprt ffenders while encuraging them t understand, accept and carry ut their bligatins,... recgnize that while bligatins may be difficult fr ffenders, they shuld nt be intended as harms and they must be achievable,... prvide pprtunities fr dialgue, direct r indirect, between victims and ffenders as apprpriate,... invlve and empwer the affected cmmunity thrugh the justice prcess, and increase its capacity t recgnize and respnd t cmmunity bases f crime,... encurage cllabratin and reintegratin rather than cercin and islatin,... give attentin t the unintended cnsequences f ur actins and prgrams,... shw respect t all parties including victims, ffenders and justice clleagues. Circles are rund... Equal dignity and wrth f every persn Equal pprtunity t share perspectives Center speak t the Center instead f t thers Circles have fur stages... Explain the reasn fr the stages Describe the Fur Stages, intentins f each Offer the hlistic aspects Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 3
Add in L fr left and R fr right... L stands fr Listen... explain the unique way f listening in Circle R stands fr Respect... explain the safer space f Circle L T 1 R Add in Tw T s One at the tp and ne at the bttm. T 1 stands fr Truth, and T 2 fr Turns. T 2 Truth explain the imprtance f sharing yur perspective, speaking frm the heart, and the cnfidentiality f the individuals. Turns explain hw using the talking piece is simply taking turns, describe the best pssible way f taking turns. T Find yur vice, use yur wrds, stay cnsistent with the elements learned in trainings and thank yu fr bringing yur time and talents t SCVRJP! -Kris L T R Nn-veteran Circle participants shuld be trained in the rle and respnsibilities f being a cmmunity mentr in Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles. Nn-veteran Circle members...... Understand the imprtance f respnsibility t thse that served ur military.... Willing t release eg and abandn persnal curisities and serve as a witness and bring humility, cmpassin and create a healing experience.... Open t being transfrmed by the prcess f Circle and will uphld Circle prcess.... Will acknwledge and accept sciety s brken prmises t Veterans.... Accmpany thse suffering and walk beside them thrugh darkness.... Practice the self-care needed t service thse marginalized and hurting.... Extend hmecming and welcming.... Serve values greater than themselves.... Affirming a new larger identity and strength f character in a mature warrir Veteran Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 4
Keeper Respect fr all, Sherpa, rle mdel, guide prcess, mnitr emtinal climate, crdinate preparatin & fllw-up 1. Talking Piece Intrductin by invitatin, explain carefully, arund the Circle, left r right, intentinal starting 2. Values Identified by each and every persn, as a relatinship, imprtant in establishing cnnectins, relative-ness, spken early and ften, (3 RJ R s respect, respnsibility, relatinship) 3. Ceremny Ritual, pening, clsing, safer than usual space, silence, significant use f time, strng cntainer 4. Stages [Getting Acquainted, Building Relatinships, Addressing Issues, Taking Actin] Specific intentins fr each stage, intended utcmes, activities, keeper skill-set t manage 5. Cnsensus Decisin making tl f Circle, live with and supprt, practice with values, understand deeply, takes time and nt always easy. 6. Strytelling Spken frm the heart, wisdm f the lived experience, helping r healing check, 4 key pints in Restrative Stry (intr, incident, impact, reflectin) Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 5
The Talking Peace Frm the Heard Museum in Phenix Arizna, a museum dedicated t American Indian cultures. Purchased frm the gift shp in 2008 and used in a VOCARE sessin at Shakpee and many St. Crix Valley Restrative Justice Prgram Circles, and brught t the MN DOC quarterly facilitatrs meeting in 2011. The beading in the Center represents the diversity f individuals. The randm pattern and clrs remind us that we are all unique in ur wn patterns. It takes many clrs t make a design. The hrse hair attached represents the freedm, we have when we share with the talking peace. The beads, tightly wven, remind us t speak in a manner that des nt exclude r islate thers. The Circle at the tp f the talking piece represents the Circle f Life, and the fur aspects t being human, ur physical, mental, emtinal and spiritual lives. All aspects f ur humanity are t be cared fr and nurished. The feather in the Center reminds us t take ur selves lightly t be gentle in ur fur directins and ur fur respnsibilities: belnging, mastery, genersity, independence The fur beads remind us t be in the human family mther/father/sister/brther. The tl is being shared t bring peace, ease in dialgue, truth-telling, and the repairing f harm. Mitakuye Oyasin (fr all my relatives) www.reclaiming.cm/cntent/abut-circle-f-curage Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 6
Clsed grups can reinfrce alienatin. Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles create cllective cmmunity wisdm. Segment Intr f Circle Prcess Values & Guidelines Building Relatinships Addressing Issues Taking Actin Key pints 1. Briefly Explain RJ Philsphy (w/ut negativity t frmal systems) Change f behavir by change f heart. 2. Offer yur rle and cnnectin 3. Explain the elements f Circle, refer t name tags. a. Listening, Respect, Truth, Turns (handut) 4. Be sure t be POSITIVE abut the structure f the Talking Piece (TP). 5. Describe the difference, and the pening and clsing 1. Specifically ask fr peple t think f a PERSON they have a clse relatinship with. 2. Be slw in handing ut items, allw time fr everyne t tune int the directins. 3. Carefully describe the relatinship element (avid calling it a VALUE until later) 4. Ask all t cmplete, gather markers. 5. Restate the guidelines and use the TP first. 6. Describe the specific ask this rund, int self, what is n the plate and why. 7. Ask fr help in shaping the plates in a Circle. 8. Describe why we fcus n values, that these will be ur way f relating t each ther gd fr relatinships utside f Circle, gd t have in this Circle. 9. Ask fr cmmitment t effrts t d the best with these values, easy when using the TP. Describe why and what the cmmitment is. 10. Clearly state the questin and answer it, pass the piece. 11. Re-enfrce the cmmitment when the TP cmes back t yu. 2 r 3 runds, starting simple mving t mre detail. The tpic r theme, make sure the cncerns are expressed, r time fr all stries t be related. The time t reflect n the take aways frm Circle. A chance t share with ther the cnnectins made. Opprtunity t share hw the experience f Circle was experienced. Clsing Resurces Needed Circle center set up Opening Reading r activity (Offer permissin fr it t feel awkward at first) Talking Pieces, center mat Plates, markers (Yu culd explain a stry abut a talking piece t mdel pening up) Prepare questins, be flexible. Prepare an pen ended questin. Prepared questins. Reading/clsing activity Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 7
Elements f Restrative Justice adapted t serving Veterans Table adapted frm infrmatin fund in War and The Sul by Edward Tick, PhD Key Participants Veteran Victim Lved nes f Veterans Nn-Veteran Offender Cmmunity Cmmunity Invlvement Actively participate with preparatin wrk, training, learning and living the philsphy and prcess. A willingness t explre capacity, limitatins and intentins. Rebuild dignity and rediscver inner peace by appraching paths t healing. Prvide an inner rder, strength and meaning t help find a place in sciety. Cmmunity recnciliatin driven by the needs at the tp f the triangle. Strytelling Circles helped me retell my wn stries t myself SCVRJP circle training participant Strytelling knits a cmmunity tgether War and the Sul page 217 It is imprtant nt nly that the veteran tells his stry but that he experiences it as being heard. page 221 Stries need t be tld in a way that transfers the mral weight f the event frm the individual t the cmmunity. page 223 Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 8
The wrk f restratin rebalance and heals the mral trauma at the heart f PTSD Edward Tick Table adapted frm infrmatin fund in War and The Sul by Edward Tick, PhD Veteran Needs Restrative Justice Serves (severe crime) Intentinal presence f cmmunity fr reintegratin Utilizing cmmunity mentrs, returning belnging Opprtunities t reduce islatin and increase Prmtes belnging, reintegratin f victim and belnging ffenders Trauma-infrmed appraches Trauma sensitivity f Circle structured/predictable/center/centering/invitatinal Need t make peace with the dead (cmrades and Make peace after intentinal r unintentinal frmer enemies) hmicide/fatal car crash cpe with self and thers PTSD management PTSD management by Strytelling, service, helping thers, preventing similar deaths Bnds f War Bnds f crime/vilence Vital human characteristics (hw the mind rganizes, Crime that creates a lss s deep every fiber f the functins, hw we lve and relate, what we believe being is changed. and expect, value, feel, refuse t feel, what is gd, right) Transcending wunds t Pst traumatic grwth, surrunding the war experience with lve, cmpassin, meaning and frgiveness. Sul wund Mral Injury gvernment respnse Infrmal (and frmal) supprt t prcess survivrs guilt nce the cllective assumes respnsibility fr the war, the veteran s PTSD symptms begin t disappear page 237 The meaning making fr survivrs. View f pain and hurt, and healing hurt with values Sul wund mral injury criminal justice prcess Addresses guilt, prvides prcess fr atnement RJ cmmunity members are trained in taking respnsibility, addressing harms, needs, and bligatins. It is thrugh the sul we experience ur human uniqueness and spiritual depth. The sul is the driver t create and preserve life, bth bilgical and psychspiritual. The suls fundamental needs fr well-being are ften ignred. The sul is ur intellectual pwer, which thinks, reasns and understands. When we act in accrd with the sul, we transfrm int real peple, in discrd we devlve. Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 9
Ntes: Restrative Justice Peacemaking Circles fr Veterans 10