Domestic Violence Restorative Circles (DVRC)
Brief Program Description

The DVRC Program serves people who have used and survived domestic abuse. Its intended purposes are to help communities recover from harm, prevent new violence, transform away from norms that enable violence, and thrive. Like all MAP programs, the DVRC Program is based in the belief that people connected to communities are more likely to flourish, treat themselves and each other with care, and respond humanely to anyone who causes or survives harm.  

Transition Circles
Every DVRC transition circle is made up of four or five trained community volunteers and a participant who has faced legal consequences multiple times for domestic abuse. Abiding by program and circle expectations is one of the participant’s probation conditions. Circles meet for two hours once a week for six months. After gradually getting to know and trust each other, volunteers and participants discuss what participants can do to repair harm their violence has caused and thrive without violence in the future. Eventually volunteers help participants craft written commitments to non-violence that become part of the participant’s probation conditions. Throughout the participant’s time in the program, they and DVRC staff stay in close contact with a specific St. Louis County probation officer and Minnesota Sixth Judicial District judge who help participants maintain progress and apply insights built during the process.