By Lucy Salcido Carter, Policy Director and Todd Fries, Operations Director
Participants pose together before making s’mores around the campfire. Photo: Troy Williams
NCIP hosted its second of two 2016 restorative justice circle retreats in late August. Twenty participants gathered at NatureBridge in Marin to share their stories, listen to one another, and build a community of ongoing support. Participants included exonerees, their family members, crime victims who had been involved in exoneration cases, and a videographer, Troy Williams, who is also a trained restorative justice circle keeper.
Circle keepers create a structure for the circle and ensure that conversations follow the guiding values the group agrees on at the beginning of the retreat. NCIP Policy Director Lucy Salcido Carter, Operations Director Todd Fries, NCIP Advisory Board Member Rick Walker, and Insight Prison Project Program Manager Karena Montag were the circle keepers for both the June and August retreats.
In the August circle, participants continued, as they had in the June retreat, to talk together about the harms they have experienced as a result of their involvement in a wrongful conviction. On Saturday morning, exonerees, family members and crime victims also met in separate groups to dive deeper into the unique ways each group had been harmed.
On Saturday afternoon, participants shared the experiences they have had, good and bad, when they tell their stories. Saturday evening Professor Kimberly Hill from the Santa Clara University theater department led participants through exercises to improve their story telling skills, including strategies for how to better their vocal technique and create clearer narratives. After that session, participants had an opportunity to tell their stories in front of the camera, with coaching and support from Williams.
Participants work together to create an “appreciation web.” Photo: Troy Williams
The retreat included a campfire and s’mores on Saturday night. The circle closed on Sunday afternoon with an appreciation web which highlighted the participants’ appreciation for each other and acknowledged the ways in which they are all connected to each other through common experience and the restorative justice circle.
As with the June retreat, August participants expressed how valuable these circles are and their hope for more circles. “I do feel 100 pounds lighter and this is just a start,” expressed one exoneree in attendance. “I was so used to holding everything in, and I feel like I’ve been holding it in my entire life.”
Participants valued being able to connect with others who have had similar experiences, gaining technical skills in storytelling, having their experiences validated, being in fellowship with each other, letting their defenses down, and enjoying the beautiful, restful setting. Their support for each other has continued post-retreat through emails, telephone calls, and Facebook communications.
“The highlight was just getting to know everybody. Once I was here a little while, I came around and warmed up,” professed another participant. “I’ve added to my tribe.”
