An Innovative Concept
Victim Impact Panels at Lancaster CI

by Rebecca Evans, DOC victim assistant
The Florida Department of Corrections is promoting the incorporation of restorative justice reforms into Florida's criminal and juvenile justice systems. With the principles of "restorative justice," Secretary Michael W. Moore envisions the use of proven methods of offender rehabilitation and meaningful justice to help ease the effects of crime on Florida's communities.

According to the Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program in Washington state, more than 1,000 restorative justice programs have been established over the last twenty years in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The programs encompass both pre- and post-conviction practices, which enable the offender to make reparations to victims and the community. These practices may include victim-offender mediation, victim sensitivity curriculum for offenders and "impact of crime" panels.

In keeping with this theme, the Office of Programs formed a Restorative Justice Coordinators Team, appointed by Director Richard Nimer. "We are piloting institutional initiatives to incorporate restorative justice principles into program design, planning and development," stated Dr. Evelyn Ploumis-Devick, coordinator of the program development team for the department's first Victim Impact Panel held February 23, 2000. Dr. Ploumis-Devick added, "This was the first phase of a Victim Sensitivity pilot program designed to facilitate offender accountability and responsibility as it relates to victim awareness and community re-entry."

The first panel was held in the chapel at Lancaster Correctional Institution. Almost 100 youthful offenders were selected to attend as a prerequisite to the eight-week Victim Sensitivity pilot program. All offenders are within one year of their release date. Nearly thirty staff members from Central Office, Lancaster CI and other youthful offender facilities also attended.

Victim Assistance Administrator Mark Lazarus provided victim panelists, who courageously related their own stories of fear and loss to the offenders. Among the speakers were Constance Ware, a victim of psychological and physical domestic abuse; Kathy Haley, a survivor of near-fatal domestic abuse; and Ann Garrens, mother of a Gainesville college student who was murdered by serial killer Danny Rolling, now on Death Row. The three speakers represented a broad range of coping stages, from fear of their offender's imminent release from incarceration, to the liberating relief of knowing that their offender will never harm another person again. Ploumis-Devick observed, "Each was at a different level of healing."

"It was exciting for Lancaster to be chosen to pilot the Victim Impact Panel initiative," stated Warden Tommy Varnes. "As a result of our experience with the first panel, I feel the project has the potential of making a tremendous impact upon offenders, as well as being very beneficial to the victims themselves."

"When the consequences of crime are made personal through the life story told from a victim's perspective, the mental processes of offenders can be changed in a positive way," said DOC Chaplain Alex Taylor.

At the beginning of the session, there was laughing and whispering, but as the victims continued to share their horrors, everything became very quiet to the point that, without a doubt, the inmates were weighing and digesting every word from the victims' mouths. Domestic violence victim and DOC staffer Kathy Haley addresses inmates at Lancaster CI. In background (left) Ann Garrens whose daughter was killed by serial killer Danny Rolling and abuse victim Constance Ware.

"Often offenders enter the prison system with the perspective that they are the victims," said Assistant Warden Michael Pleskovich. "They may never contemplate the hardships imposed on the true victims of their crimes. Many offenders even blame the crime victims for their subsequent incarceration." But Chaplain David Downing of Lancaster CI observed the quick transformation from blame to empathy as he watched the inmates. "At the beginning of the session, there was some laughing and whispering, but as the victims continued to share their horrors, everything became very quiet, to the point that without doubt, they were weighing and digesting every word from the victims' mouths."

The overwhelming majority of comments from staff in attendance revolved around the inmates' interest in each panelist's story. Pleskovich observed that "many questions were asked that revealed their concern and sympathy for the speakers, as well as some expressions of guilt." One inmate conceded in front of the full chapel that after hearing Ware's story of abuse, he believed he was a potential abuser. He asked how he could obtain some help so that he could change his behavior. "What he did was very brave," said Ware in a recent letter to Mark Lazarus.

"It was an emotional and thought-provoking experience," stated Gloria Myers, placement & transition specialist at Lancaster CI. Following the first panel, several inmates gave their impressions of the program. Many related their concern for their own children's futures, and that they felt like becoming more involved in teaching them to do the right thing. Ploumis-Devick, who interviewed the audience, reported that the panel seemed to help offenders to understand the "ripple effect" that their actions had on their own communities. "This type of programming permits the DOC help build bridges to stronger and safer communities," Ploumis-Devick concluded.

Chaplain Taylor noted another important aspect of the department's Victim Impact Panel initiative: "The impact panel empowers victims to take control of their experience and use it for good." This sentiment was reinforced by the panelists' own recent comments. "Speaking to groups about my personal trauma and letting them know how violence changed my life forever is important in my continual healing process," stated Haley. She is considered a veteran victim advocate by her colleagues and is frequently involved in public speaking engagements on behalf of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the DOC. Ware, a first-time public speaker, agreed, "I think it is such a good grass roots therapy for me, and I would never pass up another opportunity to participate in a program like this one."

Victim Impact Panels will be held quarterly at youthful offender facilities, and the department has plans to implement the program at adult facilities in the near future. Many offenders have requested to be involved in the program. The second panel met on March 22, 2000 at Lancaster CI.

What is Restorative Justice? by Dr. Evelyn Ploumis Devik, coordinator of the restorative justice program development team The principles of restorative justice move beyond the traditional questions asked when a crime is committed: Who committed the crime? What laws were broken? How are we going to punish/treat the offender? According to Dr. Gordon Bazemore, director of the National Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) project, the traditional approach is too limited. Restorative justice addresses the same tenets, but also recognizes that crime is more than lawbreaking. Crime harms the victims, the communities, the offenders and relationships. Rather than only focusing on the offender once a crime has been committed, the principles of restorative justice present a multidimensional approach and focus on reparation and restoration to the community and victim(s), as well as the offender. Restorative justice initiatives seek to build connections and relationships with communities and provide opportunities for helping victims heal from the harms of crime. Victim Impact Panels provide an outlet which offers victims and survivors of crime a forum to speak openly about their victimization and the hurt it caused them, their families and their communities. Although the victim's perpetrator is not present, the face-to face interaction provides correctional professionals and offenders a level of awareness of the harm and devastation.