Tereza Wiest

Restorative Justice can be part of the healing process for the offender and survivor and help break a cycle of crime.  I was particularly interested in any established programs in Washington State... there is an Victim Offender Dialogue in which the two parties have a (face-to-face) conversation after months of preparation with facilitators.  But (at least in Washington), in the case of offenders who have no-contact orders, the survivor cannot reach out in a more simplified way such as a letter.  There is probably a reason for this - the process is very controlled - but it's something I'll need to do more research on before pursuing in my own case.  Also upon my initial research one impression is that the language surrounding this needs to change.  One thing that has helped my own healing process is to think of myself as a survivor and not a victim.  I realize that victim is a broader term (ie victim of theft) but in the context of violent crimes, if the 'victim' is still there to have a conversation, they are a survivor.