Unique Program in Greene County Puts Victims and Offenders Face to Face

Greene County is the only county in Missouri to utilize the Restorative Justice Program to keep charges off the record of offenders, unclog the court system, and bring about a quicker resolution for the victims of crime.

November 21, 2011|Joanna Small and Joel Girdner | Reporter and Photographer

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Justice, faster, for both victim and the person who did the crime.

Greene County is leading the way statewide in a program that touts it can make that happen. The Restorative Justice Program is clearing courtrooms and bringing about quick closure. That closure is really two-fold; it's both emotional and a closed case.

Since 2008, Greene County has been the only county in Missouri to allow offenders and those they've victimized to meet, have a conversation about what happened, and decide on a punishment together.

Something smells wonderful in Sandy Dunning's kitchen. "Just sausage and hashbrowns?" she asks her son.

But something smelled fishy when her cell phone suddenly turned up missing.

"I got a call from the Willard school counselor and she said, 'I can't give you names,' but a student actually came to her and was concerned, because she told her another student had my phone and was running up a lot of text messages and long distance calls," Sandy remembers.

Sandy's neighbor, a teenage girl in the foster care system, stole the phone. And those calls and texts totaled more than $400.

"I immediately started getting calls from grandmothers and mothers saying she was harassing them and if I didn't stop calling them she would press charges."

Turns out, though, no one pressed charges. Sandy and the girl agreed to participate in a program called Restorative Justice.

"There's never a charge filed. So if an offender elects to take part in the program, we don't clog the court with those cases," explains Greene County Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Patterson.

"She was a senior in high school and I didn't want that to be on her record," Sandy seconds. Plus Sandy wanted her money back, so the program seemed like the perfect fit.

"That program has been successful with participation and lowering recidivism's rates," says Director of Missouri State University's Center for Dispute Resolution Charlene Berquist.

She started Restorative Justice with juvenile offenders in 2006. Now, her volunteer mediators work with Greene County's adults too.

"This is basically non-violent property offenses," says Patterson.

Here's how this works; the victim and the offender get to meet each other face to face and have a conversation. The victim has the opportunity to ask why the offender committed the crime, and the offender is more likely to pay restitution because he or she can physically see who has been hurt.

"For her, it was very emotional. She broke down and apologized, assured me she did understand what she did," says Sandy of her situation.

Then the pair, with input from the mediators, decide on a punishment. Usually community service and restitution.

"I felt very comfortable with that she did her time... and paid me back, in full," Sandy recalls.

Patterson says that's a very common outcome.

"We've had 1,284 cases we've reviewed; we've had 157 sign up for the program."

With about a 70% completion rate. Sandy's case is part of that statistic, at least her first case.

A year later she had her purse stolen. Restorative Justice wasn't an option. As a result:

"He went to court, was released on his own recognizance I guess, then after about three more trial dates sentencing was supposed to happen. [He had] failure to appear."

She still hasn't seen a dime, but her phone bill from the first case-- "we're talking total scenario from the time the phone was stolen to the time of completion, maybe two and half three months tops"-- it's been reconciled.

"There is no comparison." Sandy says mediation is the only recipe for resolution. "Anything that can be dealt with through the mediation process, should be," she concludes.

According to Patterson, most misdemeanor property offenses end up with the criminal getting two years of probation, and they're usually given that entire time to repay the victim.

Restortive Justice is offered to some felons as well, and their probation is often five years. With felonies there's still a charge filed, but no conviction if they complete the program.

Patterson says Greene County hasn't been collecting data long enough to determine whether this program stops criminals from being arrested again for another crime. But according to the Center for Dispute Resolution juveniles who participate are three times more likely to repay their victim when they can see, in the flesh, who that person is and how he or she has been affected.

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