Tri-County Youth Services Bureau's
Community Conferencing Project
Tri-County Youth Services Bureau has recently received a grant to bring Community Conferencing to Southern Maryland!
Did you know: Young offenders who participate in a Community Conference are 60% less likely to re-offend.
What is Community Conferencing?
Community Conferencing is a process that helps neighborhoods, schools, agencies, and families respond to destructive behaviors in constructive ways.
Community Conferencing provides a safe and structured meeting for people involved in a conflict or crime to talk about what happened, how they have been affected, and come up with a solution. Everyone gets a chance to say what they would like to see happen to repair the harm.
Why Try Community Conferencing?
- The response to crime and harmful behaviors is immediate
- Victims are included in deciding outcomes
- Offenders are connected to a network of support
- The response is community based
- Offenders are less likely to re-offend
- The process is less expensive than going through the legal system
How Does It Work?
Concerned parties, including the Dept. of Juvenile Services, legal and judicial systems, neighborhood associations, schools, or families can refer a situation for Community Conferencing.
A trained facilitator will contact all of the affected parties, both victims and offenders, to invite them to participate in a Community Conference at a convenient time and location. The response time can be as short as two weeks.
Everyone has a chance to say how they were affected by the crime or harmful behavior and how the harm can be repaired.
The focus is on holding offenders accountable for their actions, not on blaming and punishing. Although many cases can be resolved through Community Conferencing, it does not replace legal actions for more serious crimes.
Victims have a say in deciding the outcome.
Offenders can be connected to a network of support in the community to prevent further disturbance.
*If participants reach and agreement and do not comply, then their case is returned to the referral source to be processed in the usual manner (e.g., courts, suspensions).
Contact the Community Conferencing Project
Dr. Harriett Nettles, Coordinator
Cell: 240-925-0284
Office: 301-843-2960
Fax: 301-645-9169
Email: hnettles@tcysb.org
For more information on Community Conferencing, please visit http://www.communityconferencing.org/.
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