Virginia Center for Restorative Justice

John looks just like “Mr. Clean”, muscles, bald head and all! He sat in the Circle at the Men’s Correctional Center but never joined in when he received the talking piece.  Quickly he passed it on to the inmate sitting next to him.  Finally, the last day of class and “Forgiveness” was the topic
for the Circle.  The talking piece came to John and he held on to it for a few minutes before he began to talk.    “I think having forgiveness for someone is just the same as trying to understand that person.  Whenever someone dies here in the prison nursing home, even in the middle of the night, the Correctional Officers come and get me to sit with that inmate until he dies.  I know I’m big and I don’t look like someone who might understand and forgive but that is what I’m good at.  I like to sit with the guy who is dying and just hold his hand.  I listen to whatever he needs to confess and I forgive him.  No one should die alone.”   We closed the Circle.  There was nothing more to say.

School let out early and Jamal and Mike walked across the street to the big box store and shop lifted two hunting knives and a gun.
As they left the store the Loss Prevention Officer apprehended them and called the police.

 The Intake Officer referred this case to restorative justice and we organized a Family Group Conference at the local church.

The pre-conference with both young men and their parents prepared them for the meeting with the big box store Executive Employee.

  Jamal and Mike were nervous.

  They entered the room with sad, guilt-ridden faces. 

Their heads were bent looking at the floor, each young man apologized for taking knives and gun.

Each had an opportunity to explain themselves and to have an understanding of the conflict. We negotiated the final agreement and just before we all left, the Executive Employee stated,“This is a most amazing process.  I’ve never experienced anything like this. I hope you boys and your family will continue to come to our store.  You will always be welcome."  Young men who had entered the room feeling great shame, left the room having been forgiven and restored.

It was a warm September morning as we entered the Virginia state maximum security prison.  The gathering of violent juvenile offenders behind steel doors and glass enclosed walls was disturbing.  They saw us waiting outside their cells and wanting to scare us, they pressed their faces to the glass, yelled loud obscenities and made obscene gestures. 

Believing in our hearts that we were there on a mission, Glenn, Bradford and I waited until the Guard opened the door.  In quiet humility, we passed by these young men for in the presence of the Guard, there was no respect.  These 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 year olds cried out for attention in the only way they knew how, by screaming.  In order to display disrespect, they took their shirts off and pulled their pants down to show the crack in their behinds. 

 Folding chairs were stacked up in the back of the hallway.  We pulled the chairs out and formed a circle.  We asked the young men to join us, but they were defiant.  It was obvious they didn’t trust us.  Some stood watching the loud TV at the other end of the hall, some went outside to play basketball on a court surrounded by a thirty foot tall cinder block wall.  

Two young men, Larry and Mike, came back and joined us.  “Why are you here, they asked?” 

 We responded, “We are here to lead a Restorative Justice Circle Class called “How to Handle Conflict”. 

Larry asked,” Did you bring food?  We sure would like some of those blueberry biscuits from Hardees.  You know we’re hungry all the time.  We don’t get enough to eat!” 
 I responded, “No, because we are not permitted to bring anything inside this maximum security state prison.” 
 
After a few minutes, Mike and Larry left us and joined the rest of the young men.  We returned our chairs to the wall and stood at the door waiting for the Guard to let us out.  Once outside the cell area, I noticed a Guard with a metal cart rolling down the sidewalk toward the pod where the young men were housed.  I stopped the Guard and asked to see what these young men were having for dinner.  He swung open the door and I pulled out a tray.  On that metal tray was a section with red beans, another section with white rice and one with a slice of white bread.  They were only offered coffee to drink.

The next morning I called the Warden and told him that if he expected us to come back the next week, he would have to give those young men vegetables, fruits and milk sufficient to satisfy their hunger.   He agreed to make changes to their diet.

The next week, when we walked into the pod, Mike came to the circle with a bag of milk. 

By the end of the two hours, all thirteen young men had joined us in the circle.  They did not care what we knew, until they knew that we cared.