A. Young –
Chanie Family
The Team at IICFS have helped my family and I through a really dark time. We needed support to understand how and where to get resources. While our worker (continues-to date) check in, Miko worked in back ground to get us the ramp we needed and physio therapy set up and started. We had to much going on to even know where to begin the process to heal. Miko always says community is everything! I truly can say I saw just how important community is now. We are learning to navigate the “new life we face” but know one thing for sure we have found OUR community. Thank you Miko and to everyone working in IICFS – This household will be giving back ourselves in time.
Love from The Chanie Family
The Procella Cemetery
We want to thank IICFS and the team for all of the hard work that they have done for The Procella Cemetery. The historical cemetery committee has reached out to provide their assistance in ensuring all of the land that was taken is returned. The cemetery and land is rightfully ours and it will be recorded as such. Thank you all for your support, donations and signatures. Once again thank you Iicfs.
The Procella’s
IICFS ADVOCTES COLLABORATE FOR VICTIMS’ RIGHTS IMPLEMENTATION & VICTIM ASSISTANCE SERVICES/RESOURCES
Victim/Offender & RJP
Many victim/offender and restorative justice programs have strong roots in tribal culture. Their goal is to offer help and healing for victims, offenders and communities affected by crime. They must be victim-driven (the victim must always be willing to participate without coercion), victim-centered, and safe for all participants.
In Indian Country, such programs are often integrated into traditional tribal justice processes and sometimes offered as diversion programs. It’s helpful to identify any existing programs in your jurisdiction so that you can incorporate them in probation case planning and management:
- Community impact panels (circle sentencing, family group conferencing, and accountability boards) that engage victims, offenders, their families and community members in discussing what happened, and what needs to happen to ensure that the victim and community are safe and satisfied, and that offenders are held accountable for their actions
- Victim/offender dialogue that uses a trained facilitator to discuss the crime, its impact on the victim, and his/her wishes for offender accountability and case outcomes
- “Impact of Crime on Victims” classes or panels for offenders that help them understand how their crimes affected their victims, their own families, their communities and themselves
CONCLUSION
As Tribal advocates, we are all in a unique position to serve as a conduit of services to both victim and offender. In situations, such as domestic violence, the victim and offender will continue to be connected whether it be through legal or civil connections (such as marriage, children, ownership of property, etc.) or through personal decisions to work out their situations. These situations may prove challenging and it is essential that safety and wellness remain a high priority. Knowing the different ways in which crime affects victims, what their rights are, and what resources are out there for them to access services will put you in a position to put them on a path to healing, wellness, and safety.