Family Group Conference Program

The Restorative Justice logo suggests the following ideas:

The Circle is the symbol of life, constantly evolving, constantly changing, but always interconnected. The circle in this case is broken into halves - one positive, one negative. The scars which can be seen on the top and bottom of the circle suggests that some type of healing has taken place. The two broken halves coming together also reinforce the completion of the hand in the middle, which can be seen only when the two halves are put together.

The Hand symbolizes healing, the human aspect of the program. It says that compassion is a key element in the process of healing.

The Heart symbolizes that the healing process needs to go deep. It must go to the center of the problem, and it must go to the soul of the person.

Family Group Conference Program

Family/Group Conferencing - also called Restorative Justice, seeks to repair the harmful effects of crime by having a conference with the offender, the victim, their support persons, community members and a Chaska Police Officer who will facilitate the conference. A Family/Group Conference takes the place of sending the juvenile to court.

Family/Group Conferencing allows victims to:

Tell the offender how the incident has affected them;

Have input in how the harm done to them can be repaired by restitution and consequences such as community service;

{Minimize the fear of being victimized and gain healing and closure.

Victims are encouraged to bring family members, neighbors or anyone else who would be a support person for them. We encourage you to invite support people to make the conference a more meaningful experience for the juvenile.

Family/Group Conferencing allows the juvenile to:

See how their actions have harmed and affected others;

Apologize to the victim, face the consequences of their actions and make amends for the harm they have caused;

Begin the process of restoring trust and become a valued member of our community.

Who should the parents invite to their child's conference?

Siblings, relatives or people who have an influence on your child.