A program that was introduced in Grant County less than two years ago is making inroads in the local criminal justice system by bringing juvenile criminal offenders and their victims together in an effort to exchange views and repair harm. The Restorative Justice Program of Southwestem New Mexico is one of only four such programs operating in the state. The program is funded and sanctioned by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.

The program's co-coordinator, Stephane Trustorff Luchini, brought the project to Silver City from Albuquerque.

"I was introduced to restorative justice four years ago up in Albuquerque, with the New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution," he said. "It's an organization which no longer exists, but was known nationally around the country for its excellence in training in conflict-resolution skills and victim-offender mediation."

Luchini participated in the training and then volunteered as a mediator for several years. He later contracted to help coordinate a victim-offender mediation program in several counties, and eventually put in a proposal to bring such a program to Grant County.

Silver City is one of only four New Mexico communities inaugurating peacemaking circles as part of the restorative justice program. Advocates of the program consider it a leading-edge approach to resolving conflict. Last week, the local group brought Kay Pranis to Silver City for a training session. Pranis is considered one of the recognized leaders in circle practices by those in the field.

"Our ancestors gathered around a fire in a circle, families gather around their kitchen tables in circles, and now we are gathering in circles as communities to solve problems," she wrote in one of her many published writings. "This peacemaking practice draws on the ancient Native American tradition of a talking piece and combines that with concepts of democracy and inclusivity."

Pranis said peacemaking circles are used in neighborhoods to provide support for those harmed by crime and to decide sentences for those who commit crime. In schools, the program is used to create positive classroom climates and resolve behavior problems; in the workplace it is used to deal with conflict; and in social services, the technique is being harnessed to develop more organic support systems for people struggling to make sense of their lives.

The process hinges on storytelling as the "talking piece" being passed around the peacemaking circle, which can include various members of the community, as well as counselors.

Co-coordinator Richard Mansbach said the local Juvenile Probation and Parole Office is one of the program's most enthusiastic supporters.

"(It's) been one of the best, strongest advocates for what we're doing," he said. "Including going out into the community and even beyond, in supporting using the circle concept."

The program is run by a loosely knit group of community members known as the Restorative Community Justice Council, because the community aspect is so important, Mansbach added.

Trina Kaiser, a volunteer mediator with the program, said she did what she could to help get the project off the ground once she learned it was forming in Silver City. She was working with clay with another area mediator when the topic of restorative justice came up.

"When I first heard her say the term 'restorative justice,' something within me just really resonated," she said. "I currently have an (undergraduate degree) in criminal justice, but I'm not going to work in the criminal justice system. I've chosen not to go that direction for a lot of reasons, because of the way the system is now. But when I heard that term, it gave me hope that things can change in the system. "