A Second Chance: The Power of Community and Compassion

One of my first cases involved a young teenager who had stolen from her foster family.  During my pre-conference interview I learned that she had been raped by her uncle and got pregnant.  The resulting baby was now three years old and being raised by the uncle and his wife.  The offender had been in foster care for most of her teens and had stolen nylons from her foster sister to wear to a school dance.  Since the incident she had found a part-time job looking after a lady’s three year old daughter and this lady was willing to support her in the conference as well as be the supervisor for visitations with the offender’s daughter.  At the conference it was decided that the offender’s sanctions would include volunteer hours at the Women’s Contact Center as circle participants felt this might give her somewhere to go for help if she needed it in the future.  Approximately a month later, she called to tell me that she had completed her hours and asked if it was all right to continue helping out at the center as her work there was appreciated.  She had also left her foster home to live with the single mom who had supported her in our restorative justice circle and take care of the woman’s daughter.   Together, they were also working on weekend visits with the offender’s own daughter with whom she had re-established contact. A win-win situation which changed the offender’s life and gave her life tools. From a Facilitator