Restorative and Procedural Justice

• Restorative Justice views crime as harm to people, relationships, and the community, not just breaking the law.
• A just response addresses these harms and the wrongdoing.
• Restorative Justice aims to help parties meet, discuss harms, and find a mutually agreeable resolution.
• Restorative Justice allows victims and suspects to have a voice and feel heard.
• Procedural Justice emphasizes that perceptions of fairness are greatly impacted by the quality of interaction.
• Procedural Justice focuses on citizen-police interactions.
• Procedural Justice has four general features: understanding the process, neutrality, voice, and respect.
• Neutrality means the process is transparent and fair.
• Voice is the feeling of having the opportunity to tell your side of the story.
• Respect is the feeling of being treated with dignity and politeness.
• Perceptions of encounters depend more on understanding, neutrality, voice, and respect than on the outcome.
• Restorative and Procedural Justice increase the sense of fair treatment.
• Restorative and Procedural Justice improve future interactions with law enforcement.
• Omaha Police Department (OPD) cooperates with the City of Omaha Prosecutor’s Office and Human Rights and Relations Department to conduct an adult Restorative Justice Diversion Program.

General Procedures

• The Omaha City Prosecutor’s Office and the Human Rights and Relations Department administer the program.
• OPD employees/command facilitate and participate when requested or necessary.
• Program components include participation in discussion sessions.
• Program components include completing community service hours at approved sites.
• Program components include having no new citations/arrests for a period of time.
• Program components include participation in a program exit meeting.

Participant Selection/Criteria

• OPD officers and sergeants may be asked to participate in the Restorative Justice Diversion Program.
• Program participation is not mandated for any OPD sworn employee.
• If a sworn employee chooses to participate, their command must approve their participation.
• It is preferable for the officers who arrested program participants to participate.
• Overtime will be authorized and paid to OPD participants per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Program participants are selected by the City Prosecutor’s Office based on program guidelines.
• Offense type, criminal history, and circumstances are considered factors
• Officers may request an adult offender be considered for program participation.
• To submit a request, the officer shall submit an email to the City Prosecutor’s Office designee as described in OPD Training Bulletin #57-20.
• All participants, offenders and OPD officers, must complete pre- and post-program surveys when requested.

Additional Program Information

• When a participant successfully completes the program, the City Prosecutor’s Office enters it into the IMS.
• The entry will show the charge was “nolle pros”.
• Officers should check with the OPD Records Unit if a person reports completing the program but the charge is not shown as “nolle pros” in the system.

Restorative Justice views crime as harm to people and relationships, not just breaking the law, while Procedural Justice emphasizes fairness through understanding, neutrality, voice, and respect. Both aim to address harms and give voice to those involved. Perceptions of justice depend more on interaction quality than the outcome.