Restorative Justice Program

The Congressionally Selected Awards Program, authorized by the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects selected by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-8, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 09 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

The Birmingham Family Therapy Clinic will use the funds to implement the Restorative Justice Program. The purpose of the program is to help survivors, offenders, and family members heal from the trauma of sexual abuse, learn constructive resolutions to emotional/behavioral issues, and lower the recidivism of sexual violence. The program will use a collaborative therapy approach to providing group therapy, individual/family therapy, and restorative justice. The group therapy component will include groups for adult and adolescent offenders, non-offending parents, and adolescent and child survivors and their siblings. Individual, couple, and family therapy will focus on identifying, fine tuning, and testing individual and relationship goals of participants and resolving issues that impact healthy functioning and recidivism. The restorative justice process will include a restorative conference, restorative dialogue, or a restorative session. Restorative justice will allow survivors and offenders to address the effects of the abuse and reparation of relationships in order to heal emotionally and lower recidivism. Quantitative and qualitative assessment instruments will evaluate the treatment of families over the course of one year and measure protective, therapeutic, and risk factors. Self reports and criminal justice reports of recidivism for each offender will also be tracked.

NCA/NCF