On October 30th, I received an email from , a consultant in restorative justice, victim issues and sentencing, asking if NCDD would like to be listed as a “potential ally” for activities related to restorative justice in a proposal being submitted to the Obama administration. The proposal includes the establishment of a National Commission on Restorative Justive.

Here are some more details from the email…

Many organizations have been involved in the preparation of proposals regarding justice issues to the new Administration. Ginny Sloan from the non-partisan Constitution Project has been heading up the effort. The “transition document” is virtually completed.

It includes a section on Victims and Restorative Justice, which is the focus of my message. The attached “Action requests” document lays out just the specific proposals, while the attached “transition memo” gives the background for each proposal.

The first item is for the Administration to immediately establish a Task Force on RJ and for Congress very soon to create and fund a National Commission on Restorative Justice.

The other items deal with:

• Increasing the amount allowed to be drawn annually out of the federal Victims of Crime Act fund,
• Helping prisoners who are victims of crime have access to victim services,
• Change guidelines to clarify use of VOCA funds for restorative justice services,
• Require that proceeds from the property taken under forfeiture actions go to victims first,
• Improve chances for victims to actually receive restitution from federal defendants

The deadline to be listed as a “potential ally” in the official document was October 31st, but organizations’ names can probably still be added to the document that will be posted on the web.
Feel free to download the Table of Contents of the complete document, so that you can see what other criminal justice issues are covered. And you can email Phyllis Turner Lawrence at  to see the full document.

Download the Justice proposal table of contents or the Restorative Justice doc with National Commission info