San Diego Restorative Justice Mediation Program

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The San Diego Restorative Justice Mediation Program (RJMP) was founded in 1993 as the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP). RJMP primarily facilitated cases with juvenile offenders.

The Program was accepted well by the community. In 1998, the program hosted a Restorative Justice conference in San Diego, featuring former Police Chief and former Mayor Jerry Sanders and Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court James Milliken (now retired), and Alan Crogan, Chief Probation Officer (now retired).

In February, 2014 RJMP began facilitating cases referred by the San Diego Adult Probation Dept. Late in 2014 we plan to introduce a Victim Offender Education Program in a prison and county jail.

All of RJMP's facilitators are trained volunteers. They give their time and energy toward seeing juvenile offenders recognize the damage their crimes have done, and helping them reconcile with their victims.

Learn more about RJMP at http://www.sdrjmp.org

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- [Offender] Usually, me and
Raynard just go to the park

to hang out and play and whatnot,

and then out of curiosity,

we just jumped the fence to the school.

We walked around and then
we found the open window.

We were actually surprised
that this was all happening.

Wow, this is crazy.

After we finished trashing the classroom,

we bolted out and then
went straight to my house.

I can't believe that we just did this.

- Came in to work and my
finance secretary called me

and she said, "Mr. Christman,
you better come over here.

"There's been a break-in."

- [Offender] I felt really guilty

because I knew the amount
of damage was significant.

- It had been completely trashed.

I've seen tagging and broken windows,

but nothing of this magnitude.

- [Offender] There were pictures online.

It was posted on a closed
group page on Facebook.

- I think it was the court
system that contacted me

and asked if I would be willing

to go through the
Restorative Justice process

with the perpretators.

- [Narrator] For the last 20 years,

the Restorative Justice Mediation Program

has been working to improve the lives

of people affected by crime

through Victim Offender Dialogue.

- [Offender] When RJMP was
introduced to my family,

they were really happy
and excited about it

because they knew that it was
a program that would help me.

- I was able to facilitate a situation

between the offender being juveniles

and the victim being a school.

- The kind of cases that work best

for Restorative Justice
Victim Offender Dialogue

are cases where there's a clear offender

and a clear victim.

- So this empowers them

and allows them an
opportunity to have a voice

and to directly address the person

that's committed the harm.

- At the moment that I experienced that,

I saw that there was healing.

- Something like Restorative Justice,

where an offender has the opportunity

to see the person who
they offended face-to-face

and to have dialogue with them

will be, and always has been,

one of the most important
tools in rehabilitating.

- This is a great opportunity

for the victim and the offender

to get together and have some closure.

- [Offender] When I was in
the same room as the principal

and I did look him in the eye,
and I did say, "I'm sorry,"

it felt very relieving

because I've always wanted
to get that off my chest.

I was really sad.

I started crying because the principal

was such a really nice guy.

- Wow, the power of an apology,
if it's a sincere apology,

it's almost like completely removing

any kind of ill-doing that
was done in the first place.

- I think it's hard to conceptualize

if you just hear about this,

that a victim and offender
can really come together

and leave different people,

be completely transformed.

- Transformation is
what we're looking for.

- The impact it's had on me is

given me faith in humanity.

- Transforming lives.

Victims' lives, offenders'
lives, their families,

communities impacted by crime.

- [Offender] We have worked a plan

to help with the restitution.

We are doing community
service at the school.

- I kind of stuck to my guns

regarding the work that
I wanted them to do.

- [Offender] I actually enjoy the work

because I know that I'm finally
giving back to the school

and I have a chance to right my wrongs.

- They can change, they can transform,

even under the worst circumstances.

- My role in sending cases to RJMP

is to ensure that the probation
officers in our department

know what's available out there

for the victims and the offenders.

- [Narrator] Victim/offender dialogue

is not "soft on crime."

It holds offenders accountable

to victims, families, and communities.

For offenders who complete

a victim/offender dialogue program,

the rate of re-offending drops up to 60%.

Over 90% of crime victims who participate

report satisfaction.

- I think what we need from
the community is support.

We need people to talk to
other people about the program.

The other thing, frankly, that
we can use from the community

is financial support.

This program is privately funded.

It's funded by private
foundations and individuals

who are passionate about the work we do.

- I would definitely recommend
the program to other people.

- [Narrator] San Diego needs

the Restorative Justice Mediation Program.

If you share our values

for lasting, transformative,
restorative justice,

please join us and
support our efforts today.

Visit our website at sdrjmp.org.

Thank you.

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