VORP - Community Conferences/Public Education

[ VORP Information and Resource Center graphic ]

Community Conferences/Public Education
The Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) Information and Resource Center offers a one-day Community Conference on Restorative Justice and Victim-Offender Mediation, which is a tool that has been effective in many communities. The Community Conference can be used to educate the public and public officials, to facilitate dialogue, to build interest and to "recruit" justice system stakeholders and other members of the community into collaboration for restorative justice. One of the purposes is to initiate or further a process that will result in community design and community "ownership" of a restorative justice program. Special attention is focused on the needs and interests of crime victims and victims' advocates, to make sure that programs are both victim-centered and victim-sensitive in their approach to victim-offender mediation.
An additional benefit of the Community Conference is that it can serve as a focal event for media coverage, resulting in more community interest and "buy-in," particularly if important local and state officials address the Conference and participate. Also, in conjunction with the Conference, "courtesy visits" can be made to public officials who do not attend. A visit and presentation by an "outside expert" can lend credibility to a restorative justice initiative and increase the awareness and support of public officials.
The Center can design public education programs and presentations to meet the needs of your organization and your community.

Sample Community Conference Agenda
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Marty Price, J.D., an attorney and social worker turned to mediator, is the founder and director of the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) Information and Resource Center, in Camas, Washington. He is the founder and former director of the VORP of Clackamas County (Oregon.) He is a current Board Member and former Co-Chair of the Victim-Offender Mediation Association (VOMA), a non-profit, international, educational and advocacy organization that promotes restorative justice and supports victim-offender mediation and reconciliation programs.

The Center provides information, training, public education, technical assistance, consulting and victim-offender mediation and reconciliation services. We serve non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and individuals. The Center specializes in juvenile justice and the mediation of drunk driving fatality cases and other crimes of severe violence.

Our mission is to bring restorative justice reform to our criminal justice system, to empower victims, offenders and communities to heal the effects of crime, to curb recidivism, and to offer our society a more effective and humanistic alternative to the growing outcry for more prisons and more punishment.

Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP)
Information and Resource Center
19813 N.E. 13th Street
Camas, WA 98607

(360) 260-1551 Voice
(360) 260-1563 FAX

E-mail: [email protected]
World Wide Web: http://www.vorp.com

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