Circuit 2’s Restorative Justice Program
What Our Participants Are Saying About RJ
💬 What has changed as a result of participating in this conference?
“Understanding and connection! There was a sense of resolution and both parties were heard.”
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“The thing that has changed is our perspective on how to handle and regulate situations and emotions.”
“I believe our community got stronger and we cleared up some misconceptions and yucky stuff.”
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“It helped our family communicate together about what happened. It allowed [the responsible party] to hear from everyone how serious it was.”
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“Accepting the support I didn't feel I deserved has gotten a little better.”
💬 What feedback do you have for the facilitators?
“The facilitators were very professional and listened to everyone's needs and gave very good summarizations of what we spoke on.”
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“They were knowledgeable, kind, patient, and empathetic.”
“The facilitators did an amazing job at reflecting large stories.”
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“The one-on-one was so helpful.”
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“They were very helpful and professional.”
💬 If someone was interested in RJ, based on your experience, what would you tell them?
“I think that it is so important for victims to be able to safely share how incidents impact them and that they are heard.”
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“Do it! It’s scary but you’ll feel better after.”
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“Try it — be open and honest.”
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“Call Connection First! The process was helpful and hopeful and that many needs for connection and healing.”
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“It’s the best way for understanding and solution in my opinion.”
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What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice (RJ) is a structured process where people most directly impacted by harm — including responsible parties, those who’ve been harmed, and their supporters — come together in a facilitated conversation. The goal is to share perspectives, take accountability, and identify ways to repair the harm.
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This approach is grounded in dignity, honesty, and connection. Unlike the criminal legal system focused on punishment alone, RJ emphasizes healing and accountability that feels meaningful to all involved.
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RJ Asks
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What happened?
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What are the perceived root causes?
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Who has been impacted and how?
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What can be done to repair the harm and prevent something like that from happening again?
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How the RJ Process Works
1. Referral
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A case is referred by an attorney, community partner, or community member.
2. Preparation
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Trained facilitators meet one-on-one with all parties to understand their needs, answer questions, and build trust.
3. Facilitated Conference
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Everyone comes together in a safe space to share, listen, and explore harms, impacts, and repairs.​
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4. Agreement & Follow-Up
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Participants co-create a plan for accountability and healing. Connection First follows up to support completion.
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Benefits of RJ
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For those responsible: Encourages accountability, personal growth, and the opportunity to make amends.
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For those harmed: Provides a voice in the process, promotes healing, and offers a sense of closure.
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For the community: Strengthens community ties, reduces recidivism, and helps reintegrate individuals back into the community.
Restorative Principles
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Crime is impactful and harmful to individuals and the community. While a law may have been broken, the harm is centered around relationships and people rather than a violation of the law and the state.
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Those most impacted are meaningfully involved and empowered. The restorative approach is collaborative and rooted in dialogue and consensus on the restorative agreements to repair harm, centering the needs of the impacted parties. Giving impacted parties a voice in the process is an empowering hallmark of RJ, and something that does not typically happen in the criminal legal system.
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Crime creates harm, needs, and obligations. The responsible person takes accountability for what happened and both the impacted and responsible parties, along with community members, are engaged in the entirety of the process to address the harm, needs, and obligations.
Who is Eligible?
In January 2024, Connection First began its contract with the City of Tallahassee. This program is available across Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, which includes:
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Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, and Wakulla counties.
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While we prioritize cases where the harm occurred in Leon County—and all of our cases to date have come from there—we are open and equipped to accept cases from any county within Circuit 2.
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Eligibility Requirements
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The person responsible for harm must be 18 or older at the time the case is referred.
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Referral sources may include:
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The Office of the State Attorney
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The Office of the Public Defender (or private defense attorneys)
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Closed/post-conviction case referrals
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Community-based or non-criminal harm referrals
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For more details on what kinds of cases we take, please see the section below on "Types of RJ Cases."
Types of RJ Cases
Community Harm (Non-Criminal)
We accept referrals for conflicts or situations between at least two parties in which one party is clearly responsible for the harm. The responsible party needs to be an adult (18 or older) at the time the main harm happened, and it either happened in Leon County or one or more of the parties lives in Leon County.
RJ is a great option for those impacted by harm if any of the following apply:​
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You don’t want this harm to ruin the relationship you have/had with the other party.
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You want clarity or understanding about why the harm happened, or why it happened to you.
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You want an opportunity to be fully heard about your experience, thoughts, feelings, and needs.
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You do not want to press charges, but you would like there to be some accountability and action taken regarding the harm.
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You would like to have a say in how the harm can be addressed, the type of repair that needs to happen, and strategies to keep the responsible party from committing similar harm in the future.
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You want to feel a sense of safety again in places/situations in which you don’t now because of the harm.
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You want closure, or to be able to mentally and emotionally move on.
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RJ is a great option for those responsible for harm if any of the following apply:
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You are taking accountability and responsibility for what happened. (mandatory requirement)
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You have remorse around what happened and want to make amends.
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You are trying to grow and better themselves.
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You do not want to be defined by this one action/harm, but rather by who you are.
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You want to repair the relationship with the impacted party.
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You want to contribute to a safer and more connected community.
Some scenarios of community harm that could benefit from RJ are below. It's important to note this list is NOT exhaustive, but rather a few examples to provide an idea of what might be appropriate for RJ.​​
A Domestic Dispute
One partner is angry with the other and keys their car. Car owner does not want to press charges, but would like to handle the dispute in a safe, respectful, and effective manner.
Roommate Dispute
One roommate accidentally runs over the other’s cat while drunk. They feel terrible about it, but the cat owner is incredibly angry with the roommate.
Neighbor Dispute
Neighbor A lies to neighbor B about the timing of an HOA meeting because they don’t want neighbor B to be able to vote on a pressing neighborhood matter. Neighbor B learns of the lie after the meeting and wants neighbor A to take accountability. Others in the neighborhood hear of the lie and also want neighbor A to make it right. Neighbor A feels remorse for their actions and also wants to make things right again.
Friend Dispute
Friend A promises to help friend B move to a new apartment. Friend A forgets, makes other plans, doesn’t pick up the moving van like they said they would, and friend B is delayed in moving out in time because they are doing it themselves, they get stuck paying extra fees for not moving out in time, and they throw out their back trying to move large pieces of furniture by themselves.
Data Supporting our Program
We are excited to report our program maintains a 100% satisfaction rate from participants.
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Total Referrals
March 1st, 2024- April 30, 2025
Total Completed RJ Cases
March 1st, 2024- April 30, 2025
Evidence for RJ
Impacted parties express high levels of satisfaction and healing through RJ
RJ brings high levels of satisfaction and healing to impacted parties. They value the pre-conferencing process, the ability to help develop RJ agreements, and the opportunity to share their experiences of harm. Studies show that 90% of victims who participate in RJ recommend it over traditional criminal procedures, and RJ helps reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms significantly compared to traditional justice methods.
RJ lowers recidivism and reduces crime rates
RJ practices have proven effective in lowering recidivism and reducing crime rates. Communities across the nation, such as St. Croix Valley, Vermont, and Longmont, report recidivism rates as low as 7.3%, 8.9%, and 10%, respectively. RJ programs can reduce recidivism by 7% to 45% two years post-program, and participants often reoffend at lower severity levels. Responsible parties in RJ programs are also more likely to complete restitution payments.
Local Success
In Tallahassee, the Community Connections juvenile diversion program, which teaches Nonviolent Communication through a restorative justice lens, boasts a recidivism rate of less than 7%. Remarkably, the program has had no fights in over a decade, despite many participants being referred for fighting. Additionally, over 30% of these teens return to volunteer.
RJ reduces costs
Research supports the cost-effectiveness of restorative justice conferencing. Strang et al. (2013) found RJ programs provided up to 14 times as much benefit in costs by crime prevention. Another study shows that every one dollar spent on RJ saves the community eight dollars in preventing crime.
Ready to Refer a Case?
If you or someone you care about has been involved in an incident where harm was caused or experienced, RJ may be an option to consider.​
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Community referrals can be made around almost any harm or conflict. Conflict happens daily. If there is any situation that seems too overwhelming to handle alone, or you simply would like extra support from professionals in conflict resolution, make a referral. We can always discuss the issue with you and let you know if it is appropriate for RJ or not.​​