Victim Impact and Empathy Program | Community Justice Center

This class is designed for all offenses, including probation. 

Our Victim Impact and Empathy Program prepares justice-involved individuals to handle life on life’s terms during and after their release. The course focuses on how their emotional hygiene impacts themselves and their families and how to successfully re-enter their community.

Our team, made up of Forensic Peers Restorative Justice Trainers, has been providing classes to correctional institutions since 2001, and adult probation since 2006. When offenders and addicts participate in the CJC class at the beginning of their institutional or community-based supervision, supervising staff report that offenders are less defensive and easier to supervise. These results are seen in the reduction of misconduct reports and recidivism rates.

This condensed version of our 8-hour state-approved training class is designed to work perfectly on any computer, tablet or phone. It’s appropriate for all violent and non-violent offenses and is personalized based on a selected crime category. After completing many practical exercises, interactive conversations, quizzes and a final test, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Accountability and responsibility help offenders repair this harm. CJC staff also follows up and monitors all homework assignments.

Offender-Victim Impact classes utilize victim-impact statements during class which speed up the accountability and growth process. Participants are coached on breaking down and identifying the victims emotional, physical, and/or financial harm. This approach allows offenders to effectively digest and translate important key issues that victim’s face everyday. The impact of these classes help find common ground of pain and loss between all parties. We believe having a deep, long-lasting emotional connection accelerates change in behaviors, creating less crime and safer communities.

After completing the eight-hour course, participants must complete three assignments which are designed to reinforce critical topics discussed in class. CJC monitors and checks these assignments.

“Over the past ten years I have seen so many women who truly believed that they were the only victim of their crime. After class, they come away with a realization, and a new attitude about what they have done, and how many people were affected. The class is one of the single most effective things I have seen done at Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.” – Mary Alley, Vocational Teacher II/Victims Advocate, Nebraska Correctional Center for Women

“It helped me see more the effects that my actions have had on my victim’s family and how it led to damage of the community’s sense of security”.

“It helps me better understand the impact I have on the victims and my community”.

“I loved the class, it needs to be nationwide, every city and state”.

“Helped me identify who and how I hurt my victims”.

“Help me realize what I did and how deep the wounds go. How I can start the process of healing”.

“I thought was the victim, I now know who my victims are directly and indirectly”.

“I think that everyone should go to this class or have someone go into the schools to teach it”. 

The Community Justice Center (CJC) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, Restorative Justice organization offers institutional and community programming that serves the needs of victims, offenders, and the community. We provide effective and evidence-based programming and forensic peer support in all Nebraska Correctional Institutions, Douglas County Jail, Lancaster County Jail, Nebraska communities, and with Nebraska Probation Reporting Centers statewide.

Community Justice Center 211 N. 14th St. Ste. 314 Lincoln, NE 68508

Name

Subscribe