Background

The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) of Denver began in 1993 in response to the summer of violence. VORP provides alternative dispute resolution as a way of restoring relationships harmed by crime and conflict.  Through restorative justice, youth repair the harm done by their criminal actions in ways that are meaningful to themselves, their family, the victim, and the community. Offenders meet with the victims of their crimes, or with a community member representing the victim’s “voice.”  By participating in VORP of Denver, kids arrested for “gateway” crimes of shoplifting, theft and vandalism are more likely to stay out of jail, avoiding potentially long-term escalating involvement with the criminal justice system.  The majority of youth served by VORP are youth of color, mirroring the racial disparities in prisons.  Parents participate with their children in the programs.

Complementing the Traditional Justice System

The Restorative Justice model is distinct from the existing justice system by addressing the harm caused by crime and seeking to redress that harm.  VORP's historical means was bringing victim and offender together in a safe environment to discuss the crime, the impact of the crime, and the types of reparation desired.  Restorative Justice is seen as an effective added tool for professionals in the criminal justice system because of its broader social objectives and its community- and victim-oriented approach.
 
VORP of Denver complements the traditional justice approach by infusing the process of administering justice with the following three Restorative Justice dimensions:

1. Accountability

• Offenders get to take responsibility for their actions
• Offenders face the community and victims--those they have harmed
• Offenders get to take steps to repair harm and make amends

2. Competency Development

• Offenders learn effective communication skills
• Offenders have a chance to acknowledge their responsibility to their community and find a way to rejoin their community
• Offenders learn skills to resolve conflicts other than violence or crime
• Offenders have the chance to see victims as fellow humans and develop empathy

2. Victim and Community Empowerment

• Victim and community can have the offender to take responsibility for the harm done
• Victims and community have an opportunity to tell the offender how they feel and hear the conditions that may have led to the crime
• Victims and offenders can see each other as members of their community
• Victims and community get a say in how the harm should be repaired and what sanctions should be applied
• Victims can regain a sense of safety, bringing healing and closure to the incident