County probation & NYC Department of Probation
- A structured condition officers can assign and verify
- Attendance, completion and pre/post results returned to the officer
- Cohorts scheduled around department caseloads
Transformative & Restorative Justice · New York State
Barriers are real.
Excuses are choices.
Beyond Harm™ is an 8-hour accountability class for people on probation, court-involved adults and at-risk youth. Participants face the impact of what they did, separate the barriers in their lives from the stories they tell about them, and leave with a written plan to repair harm.
8 hours · one day
6–20 participants per cohort
Pre/post evaluation & agency report
Peer-led by lived experience
Victim first
Three people are owed something after harm
VICTIM
The person harmed
Participants learn who their primary, secondary and community victims are, and what those people lose in the hours, months and years after harm.
OFFENDER
The person who caused it
Accountability without shame. Participants name the thinking errors behind their choices and practice owning their part without excuses.
COMMUNITY
The web around both
Families, blocks, schools and businesses carry the cost of harm. Participants map that web and commit to concrete steps of repair.
“Meet the needs of the victim first, the offender, and the community, and repair, to the greatest degree possible, the harm that was done.”
Who we serve
A program partner for the people who decide what happens next
Beyond Harm™ runs on referral. Agencies send participants; we deliver the class, document attendance and learning, and report back.
Judges, problem-solving courts, defense & mitigation teams
- A documented, accountability-centered alternative to jail time
- Completion certificate suitable for the court file
- A written Commitment to Restoration the participant can present
Raise the Age, diversion, schools and community centers
- Victim awareness and emotional literacy for young people at risk
- Restorative language that fits school and youth-court practice
- Delivered on site in your space
Tribal courts, Nations and social services
- Grounded in Haudenosaunee values of responsibility, balance and restoration
- Founded and led by a Mohawk practitioner
- Culturally aligned and trauma-informed
The method
We don't argue with the story. We test it.
Most participants already know crime has consequences. What keeps them stuck is how they see themselves and their future. Beyond Harm™ works on beliefs, not just behavior.
| The barrier | The excuse it turns into |
|---|---|
| I have a felony record. | Nobody will ever hire me. |
| I have limited education. | I can't learn new skills. |
| I grew up in poverty. | Success isn't for people like me. |
| I've been incarcerated. | My life is already over. |
| I made serious mistakes. | I'll always be that person. |
Obstacle→Barrier→Belief→Choice→Action
“You can understand why you made a choice without excusing the choice.”
The 8-hour day
One day, start to certificate
Every participant receives the Beyond Harm™ Student Manual, worksheets, a private ACE self-assessment and a Commitment to Restoration they write and sign.
8:00
Registration, attendance verification, pre-evaluation
8:30
Introductions and orientationGroup agreements, confidentiality, the ACE self-assessment
9:15
Transformative and restorative justice foundationsTwo short videos of restorative justice in action, then understanding harm, accountability and community responsibility
10:15
Break
10:30
Victim awareness and impactPrimary, secondary and community victims; the ripple effects of harm
11:45
Lunch
12:30
Emotions, anger and decision-makingThe six core feelings, the anger iceberg, triggers and coping
1:45
Break
2:00
Obstacles, barriers and beliefsPersonal narratives, limiting beliefs, the Circle of Control
3:15
Transformation through accountabilityThe victim apology letter, repairing harm, rebuilding trust, SMART goals, future planning
4:15
Reflection and group circle
4:45
Post-evaluation, certificates and closing
For the referring agency
What comes back to your desk
Attendance verification
Signed sign-in and sign-out times for each participant, countersigned by the facilitator.
Pre/post evaluation
The same ten questions answered at 8:00 and at 4:45, so you can see what changed in the participant's own words.
Completion certificate
Issued to every participant who completes the full day, with a copy for the case file.
Progress summary
A short facilitator note per participant on engagement and understanding of the core concepts.
Cohort report
De-identified results for the whole group, useful for grant reporting and program review.
Next-step recommendations
Where a participant would benefit from further support, we say so and point to local resources.
Investment
$300 per participant, per 8-hour class
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Per participant (minimum 6) | $300 each |
| Cohort package, up to 12 participants | $3,300 |
| Cohort package, up to 20 participants | $5,200 |
| Beyond Harm™ Follow-Up Circle, 2 hours at 30 days | $75 each |
One invoice to the referring agency, which provides the classroom. Includes facilitation, the Beyond Harm™ Student Manual, worksheets, evaluations, certificates and agency reporting.
The participant's stake
Every participant pays part of their own way
Showing up is not the same as taking part. Each participant contributes toward their own seat, and we recommend $150, half the per-person price. When people put in something of their own, they treat the day as theirs. That contribution is the first act of responsibility the class asks for.
The referring agency decides how each participant's stake works. Officers and caseworkers know their people's circumstances, so they set the amount and the payment arrangement that fits each person.
For comparison, a single year of incarceration in New York costs taxpayers many times the price of an entire cohort.
“There is nothing glamorous about hurting people, losing your freedom, watching years of your life disappear, and carrying the weight of the harm you caused. If I stand here today with any credibility, it's not because of what I did. It's because of what I learned from it.”
Ralph Patrick Brown, TawennihakeFounder and Director, Beyond Harm™
The founder
Making Path
Ralph Patrick Brown, whose Mohawk name Tawennihake means “Making Path,” spent 28 years inside the prison system. That experience is the foundation of Beyond Harm™'s peer-to-peer model.
He doesn't spend the day telling participants what they did wrong. He shows them what they can do differently. Participants who believe “no one understands” meet someone who does, and who will not accept excuses.
His approach rests on a simple idea. There can be no rehabilitation for someone who was never habilitated in the first place.
Questions agencies ask
Frequently asked questions
Is this an anger management class?
No. Anger is one module, but Beyond Harm™ is a restorative and transformative justice curriculum focused on accountability, victim awareness, emotional literacy and personal change. It is not anger management, cognitive restructuring or a generic offender-education class.
Who is a good fit for a referral?
Adults on probation, people with pending cases where a judge or attorney is considering alternatives, young people in diversion or Raise the Age programs, and anyone who has caused harm and is willing to sit through an honest day of work. Participants must be able to engage in a group setting.
Can a court or probation officer make it a condition?
That decision belongs to the court or department. Beyond Harm™ provides what is needed to verify it: attendance records, completion certificates and pre/post evaluations returned to the referring officer.
How does the participant's stake work?
We send one invoice to the referring agency. Every participant contributes toward their own seat, and we recommend $150. The agency decides the amount and how it is paid for each person, because officers and caseworkers know their participants' circumstances best.
What do you share with the referring agency, and what stays private?
With the participant's signed release, we share attendance, completion, evaluation results and a short progress summary. The ACE self-assessment and personal reflections stay with the participant. Facilitators follow mandated reporting obligations, which are explained at the start of class.
Where are classes held?
Classes should be held in a space provided by the agency. We come to you anywhere in New York State.
How soon can a cohort start?
Once at least six participants are referred, we schedule a date with your agency, usually within a few weeks.
Is there follow-up after the class?
Yes. The Beyond Harm™ Follow-Up Circle is a 2-hour group session about 30 days after class. Participants report on their Commitment to Restoration and their SMART goal, and the agency receives a short attendance and progress note.
Can you brief our staff first?
Yes, at no cost. A 45-minute staff briefing shows your officers or court staff how Beyond Harm™ works as an alternative, what participants do during the day, and how referrals and reporting work.
Refer a cohort
Start a conversation
Call or email to book a free 45-minute staff briefing or to schedule a cohort. Tell us your agency, how many participants you expect, and the dates that work for you.
Phone315-573-0133
AreaNew York State · Saint Regis Mohawk Nation
How a referral works
- Staff briefing. A free 45-minute talk for your officers or court staff on how Beyond Harm™ works and how to refer.
- Referrals. Your officers or caseworkers send names; each participant signs a release.
- Class day. Eight hours in a space your agency provides; we bring all materials.
- Reporting. Attendance, evaluations, certificates and summaries come back to you, with one invoice.
- Follow-up. An optional Beyond Harm™ Follow-Up Circle 30 days later.