Being modeled on restorative justice, the central features are:
- community management of the consequences of the offending action
- the participation of the victim as a key player
- self-responsibility of the offender by assuming an active role in repairing the damage
- the voluntary meeting between the offender and the victim, in the presence of both parties’ family members, other people involved in the offending incidents (e.g., teachers, institutional representatives, mentors of the children, etc.), and the individuals who will support the offender and the victim throughout the process (ASAI mentors and educators)
ASAI offers many adolescents caught in the criminal justice system the educational opportunity of restorative processes that involve not only offender and victim but also family and community. On the other end, the victim and other individuals involved are given an opportunity to participate in the journey, a space where they can be listened to, an opportunity to meet to speak their mind, to tell their experiences, and to ask their questions.
Similar support is also given to victims, who are offered a support figure (mentor) who makes themself available to listen and to provide information about the process, its progress, and the final settlement.
The process concludes with a settlement meeting (Restorative Justice Conference) between the offender and the victim, families, other individuals involved, ASAI mentors, and officers of the Community Policing Unit, in which the active participation of all and the discussion allow for the deepest understanding of those harmed by the crime, the tangible and emotional impacts of the act, and, at the same time, the responsibilization activity carried out takes on a restorative significance toward those who have suffered by facilitating the overcoming of what happened and its harmful consequences.
The goals include mainly repairing the material and emotional harm caused and acknowledging the victim’s suffering, as well as providing support and the opportunity to meet with the offender. The minor takes responsibility by playing an active role in repairing the harm and, at the same time, has the opportunity to show that they are better than the misdeed they committed. Positive (re)inclusion of the offender and victim in the community also positively affects their well-being at school, in their families, and in the community.
