Gary Youngberg, volunteer facilitator, serves on a Chattanooga case.
Chattanooga Kiwanis Club Projects
V O R P . . . . . Victim Offender Reconciliation Program
Many of the organizations serving our area have been started by members of the Chattanooga Kiwanis Club. Our mode of operation is to help children through well run service organizations supported by Kiwanis and many others. With this in mind, the new Victim Offender Reconciliation Program was set up by members of our club, endorsed by it, and funds given. More than half the board of directors of this organization is Kiwanian, and Kiwanis has volunteered to help and invite their members and any others interested in the rehabilitation of our youth.
Referrals consist of juvenile non-violent offenders. Meetings are scheduled with a facilitator, the offender, and the victim to work out a plan to reimburse the victim and help the offender become a law abiding and good citizen. The victim discusses what it takes to "right the wrong" and receives compensation for the loss. The offender realizes that people have been injured by his acts, apologized directly to the victim, and participates in determining restitution terms and time frames. A contract is written and signed. 95 % of these contracts are successfully completed.
The Initial Program is some 20 years old with over 300 programs in US and Canada and 700 in Europe and other countries. The following cities of Tennessee have programs under way: Crossville, since 1989, Nashville, 1990, Knoxville, 1993, Columbia, 1994, and now Chattanooga, 2002 This program has been very successful in other areas and has saved the tax payers considerable court and incarceration costs.
Training of volunteer facilitators has continued. The original coordinator was Berti LaWinter, and the office is open in the building near the juvenile court. (423-209-5144). A number of volunteer mediators (not necessarily Kiwanians) have already received training and classes continue. The first cases were all shoplifting, but other types of non-violent juvenile offenses are now being admitted (June 03).
Email or phone (see the Home Page) if you would like to be a part of this. A facilitator receives 20 hours of training and then spends about 5 hours on each case. First there is a meeting with the offender (perhaps with parents), second a meeting with the victim, and third with both to arrive at a solution. Facilitators probably have one case a month, but the number of cases a facilitator handles is flexible.
Gary Youngberg, volunteer facilitator,
serves on a Chattanooga case.