The conference facilitator will share the time and location of the conference with you. It is important to arrive on time so we can start promptly.
All participants will sit in a circle according to the facilitator’s seating chart. The conference facilitator sticks to a simple written script. The facilitator keeps the conference focused but is not an active participant. In the conference the facilitator provides an opportunity to each participant to speak, beginning with asking open-ended and effective restorative questions of those who have caused harm. The facilitator then asks those who have been affected by wrongdoing the questions below to provide those impacted by harm an opportunity to talk about the incident from their perspective and they ways in which it affected them. It is important to focus on the harm that has been caused as opposed to whether someone is “good” or “bad.”
Using the conference script, those who have caused harm are asked these restorative questions:
- “What happened?”
- "What were you thinking about at the time?”
- “What have you thought about since?”
- “Who has been affected by what you have done?”
- “What do you think you need to do to make things right?”
- Those who have been impacted by the harm are asked these restorative questions:
- “What did you think when you realized what happened?”
- “What impact has the incident had on you and others?”
- “What has been the hardest thing for you?”
- “What do you think needs to happen to make things right?”
Finally, those impacted by the harm are asked what they would like the outcome of the conference to be. The response is discussed with those who have caused harm and everyone else at the conference. When an agreement is reached, a simple contract that includes the details of the agreement is written and signed by all participants. At the conclusion of the contract agreement, everyone will have some informal time together to “break bread” and begin the process of reintegration.