Sample Restorative Justice
Practices in Minnesota

• Victim Services (across much of the state)

• Community Volunteers -- Victim Support, as victim advocates or supporters working with victims
• Police Chaplaincy Program and Victim Intervention Program, for families of homicide, suicide and accident victims (St. Paul)
• Community Violence Response Team (St. Paul)
• Victim - Offender Meeting Programs (Summit University/Dispute Resolution Center - St. Paul, Dakota County, Houston County, Brown County, DOC Bemidji District, Mediation Services for Anoka County, Kandiyohi County, Cooperative Solutions (Grand Rapids), DOC in Meeker County, plus individual volunteer mediators providing services to communities around the state)
• Victim Offender Dialog in cases of severe violence (Minnesota Department of Corrections, University of Minnesota Center for Restorative Justice & Mediation)
• Victim - Offender Conferencing, including large and small group conferencing (Washington County, Kandiyohi County)
• Family Group Conferencing is being done in collaboration by schools, human services, churches,community programs, law enforcement, courts and probation, including Black Indian Hispanic and Asian Women in Action, St. Paul Youth Service Bureau, Cooperative Solutions (Austin), Woodbury Police, Carver County Sheriff, Anoka Police, Duluth Police with Arrowhead Juvenile Center, Houston County Mediation and Victim Services, Arrowhead Community Corrections, and Stearns, Martin, Waseca, Winona, Jackson, Dakota, Sibley, Carver, LeSueur, Scott, Goodhue, Faribault, Redwood, and Hennepin Counties
• Family Group Conferencing for inmate disputes (Shakopee Women's Prison)
• Community Conferencing with adult ‘livability crime’ offenders (Central City Neighborhoods Partnership - Minneapolis)
• Community Conferencing for transition/aftercare/reintegration for juveniles leaving correctional facilities (Minnesota Correctional Facility - Red Wing)
• Circle Sentencing/ Peacemaking Circles (Mille Lacs Band of Ojibway with Mille Lacs County District Court, North Minneapolis, South St. Paul, Milaca and Princeton, Dakota County, Washington County)
• Child Protection Healing Circles (Hennepin County Children & Family Services - in North Minneapolis)
• Circles of Success for At Risk Students (Rum River Educational Cooperative)
• Community Panels for Offenders:
  diversion (Forest Lake Youth Service Bureau, Powderhorn Park - in South Minneapolis)
  probation (DOC Bemidji District Powderhorn Park - in South Minneapolis)
• Crime Repair Crew - supervised offender community service crews repairing damage of criminal behavior (Dakota County)
• Community Service on Projects Out in the Community - Sentencing to Service work crews of jail inmates, prison inmates building low income housing, and individual placements of offenders (many counties in Minnesota)
• Community Service Projects done by inmates in institutions (Minnesota Correctional Facility- Shakopee, Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes)
• Pre-Sentence Investigation Process which focuses on Restorative Justice and the Balanced Approach (DOC Field Services statewide, Dodge/Fillmore/Olmsted Community Corrections, Anoka County)
• Victim Restoration Unit within Community Corrections to prioritize activities related to victims (Dakota County)
• Beat Probation Offices in Neighborhoods (Hennepin County, Dakota County, Ramsey County)
• Coordinating Council - multiagency, cross disciplinary case management for youth, involving the family (Faribault County)
• Victim Impact Panels - MADD (Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Ottertail, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, St. Louis, Stearns, Waseca, and Washington Counties)
• Victim - Offender Driving Impact Panels - Minnesotans for Safe Driving (Hennepin and Scott)
• Video for Youth on Impaired and Distracted Driving - Minnesotans for Safe Driving
• Video of Youth Victims of Drunk Driving Panel and youth speakers trained to go out to community groups to talk about their experiences (MADD)
• Cognitive Skills Programs for Offenders, with an emphasis on taking responsibility (Dakota County, Ramsey County, DOC Albert Lea District, Arrowhead Juvenile Center, Dodge/Fillmore/Olmsted Community Corrections, Shakopee Women's Prison, Minnesota Correctional Facilities for Juveniles)
• Victim Empathy Classes for Adult and Juvenile Offenders (Shakopee Women's Prison, Lino Lakes Prison, Dakota County)
• Use of Revenue Recapture to increase restitution collection for victims (increasing numbers of counties)
• "Restorative Measures" book, by the Minnesota Department of Children Families and Learning, used by schools
• Peer Mediation Programs in Schools (many schools around the state)
• Community Dialog and Forums around shared values, community concerns and conflicts (Woodbury, St. Louis Park, Washington County)
• Community and Neighborhood Mediation Programs
• Corrections Advisory Boards which include victim and community representation
• Juvenile Repay Fund which makes restitution payments to victims after their juvenile offenders earn the money by doing community service work (Dakota, Brown, Ramsey, and Kandiyohi Counties)
• Prison and Jail Ministry Programs (state prisons and jails)
• Community Volunteers working with inmates in prisons, jails, and back in the community (AMICUS and other programs)
• Prison and Jail Treatment Programs which emphasize taking responsibility and understanding the multiple impacts of the harmful behavior on others
• Inmate Involvement in Developing Prevention Programs for youth (Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes, Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee)
• Increased Parent Involvement in Juvenile Cases (family group conferencing, circle processes, Forest Lake Youth Service Bureau family community service)
• Corrections Involvement in Prevention Efforts (fire prevention video, mentoring and athletic games with at risk youth)
• Teen Courts (Mayor's Commission Against Drugs, Roseville/Falcon Heights/Lauderdale/Little Canada)

PRACTICES IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

• Circle Sentencing/ Peacemaking Circles in urban St. Paul (Summit University Neighborhood)
• Family Group Conferencing or Peacemaking Circles for transition/aftercare/reintegration for juveniles and adults leaving correctional facilities (St. Croix Camp for Girls, Arrowhead Juvenile Center, Sauk Centre, Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee)
• Information System for Restitution which reminds offender monthly, a requirement that offender write letter to victim with explanation if restitution payment will be late (Dakota County)
• Community Involvement in Designating the Community Service of offenders who committed crimes in that community
• Rituals for Reintegration into the Community when an ex-offender has earned back community respect (St. Paul)

Minnesota Department of Corrections/Restorative Justice Initiative December, 1998