Restorative Program

Overview

The Restorative Program at Men As Peacemakers (MAP) serves people who have used and survived domestic violence. In collaboration with partners from the community and criminal justice system, MAP helps program participants repair harm, gain accountability, restore relationships, and reintegrate into healthy community.

Does It ACTUALLY Work?

Restorative approaches are increasingly upheld as a more effective option for addressing domestic violence. Participants who complete MAP’s Restorative Program demonstrate a decrease in their acceptance of violence, in victim-blaming, and in the moral justification of their behavior, while at the same time, demonstrate an increase in empathy and positive social support. Recidivism rates for participants who complete the program compared to those who fail to complete the program are also significant (16.7% vs 42.9%, completed vs failed to complete). Because restorative models are rooted in community, they provide supports that are “more relevant and personalized” to the participant, the victim, and the community at large, and result in more sustainable positive outcomes.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ACCOUNTABILITY, RESTORATION, and HEALING

MAP engages and trains dedicated volunteers from within the community. Volunteers are coaches, teachers, businesspeople, faith leaders, elders, advocates, and other community members. The Restorative Program Volunteer Training Programing includes both virtual and in-person components, and equips volunteers with foundational knowledge about gender-based violence, individual and community-level risk and protective factors, and various restorative approaches, as well as builds practical skills for engaging in a community-based dialogue process that helps participants build awareness, repair harm they have caused, live non-violently, and contribute to helping their communities thrive.

MAP also convenes a multidisciplinary Restorative Practices Advisory Committee and Steering Committee, which collectively works to establish referral pathways, engage relevant stakeholders, provide cross-training, and improve program outcomes.

SURVIVOR & FAMILY SUPPORT

Even within the context of high-level domestic violence, survivors and their families may find it difficult to - and may not event want to - disentangle their lives from the person who caused them harm. MAP therefore relies on its relationships with community-based advocates, mental and chemical healthcare providers, legal aid, a faith communities to maintain a network of supports for participants, victims, and their families. MAP also offers voluntary, individualized supports for all survivors, including a separately occurring Survivor Support Circle, a communication feedback loop that allows survivors to remain updated on participant progress and confidentially provide input, and referrals to community supports.