On this episode of First State Insights, Kim Book, Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Victims’ Voices Heard, speaks with Danielle Vota and Ruth Decosse, conflict resolution practitioners at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about why restorative justice matters.
Topics covered in this interview include Kim’s personal story of how she transformed the painful experience of her daughter’s murder into a program that creates opportunities to heal for both victims and offenders. She shares how the program works, what it is like for a victim and offender to meet face-to-face, and how restorative justice practices can reduce recidivism.
Kim is responsible for Delaware’s statewide Victim-Offender Dialogue Program. Since 2002, Kim has helped thousands of victims and offenders in Delaware. Her organization has also played a significant role in reducing recidivism rates amongst offenders.
First State Insights is a podcast presented by IPA. This episode was produced by IPA's Conflict Resolution Program—a resource dedicated to building statewide capacity for collaborative approaches to resolving conflict.
Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.
Tune to First State Insights for information, perspectives, and analysis—"IPA"—on public policy, management, and community and economic development in Delaware. In the coming weeks, expect interviews across multiple sectors from business people, brewers, and entrepreneurs to urban planners, environmentalists, educators, and caregivers.
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