The principles of restorative justice mandate that people who commit crime understand, take responsibility for, and repair the harm done to any crime victim (including the community and their own families) as a step towards successful re-entry. Determining which program or programs to use in a particular jurisdiction may be a question of resources or criminal justice priorities. Corrections administrators should partner with local victim advocates to establish the programming which best suits the needs of their particular correctional setting and population. (See Policy Statement 23, Victims, Families, and Communities, for more on the role of victims and victim advocates in the re-entry process.)

Victims or victim advocates can help design and contribute to programs that attempt to foster reintegration by educating offenders and/or other community members about the effect of crime on victims generally. If successful, programs such as impact of crime classes, victim impact panels, or reparative boards can educate people who have committed crimes and instill remorse and understanding that can curb future criminal activity, increase accountability, and reduce recidivism. (See sidebar, Sample of Victim Programming, for a partial listing of victim-oriented programming.) Moreover, the programs may be a way to promote recovery for victims by providing them a voice for their experience.

Programs such as victim-offender mediation, family group conferencing, and sentencing circles are focused more specifically on the harm that one particular person has caused another. Many of these programs require or benefit from the victim's participation, often to confront the person who has committed the crime against him or her directly.

Example: Reparative Probation Boards, Vermont Department of Corrections

Vermont's Reparative Probation Board consists of ordinary community members who meet with people who have been charged with criminal offenses to discuss the nature of the offense and its negative consequences. Board members then enter into a contract with the person that stipulates appropriate restorative sanctions. Volunteers reach out to victims to encourage their participation in the process. If a victim declines to participate, a volunteer surrogate speaks on the victim's behalf and requests reparative sanctions. Although this program is essentially used for diversionary purposes, its format provides an interesting way to incorporate the victim perspective into offender attitude programming.

Some communities integrate a variety of victim-related programs into their treatment toolbox, allowing for programs which vary in duration, nature, and type of offense. Like other programs, victim-centered projects that begin their work inside correctional facilities and then continue in the community may be particularly effective in influencing attitudes and behavior of people re-entering the community.

Example: Resolve to Stop the Violence Project, San Francisco Sheriff's Department (CA)

Each year, Resolve to Stop the Violence Project (RSVP) requires 250 to 300 men to participate in an intensive jail-based curriculum designed to develop an understanding of the consequences of violence to victims and to change male beliefs about the male-role behavior that can cause violence. Individuals participate in education, drama, victim empathy and restoration, therapy, life skills, and group learning programming for 14 hours a day, six days a week, for a minimum of 60 days. Upon completion of their jail term, RSVP graduates return to the community under the supervision of Sheriff's County Parole and Alternative Programs. These graduates work with community and victims organizations in schools and community centers to perform violence-prevention services and education, including theater productions. They also continue mandatory participation in education, job placement programs, and violence-prevention men's groups.