Restorative Justice Conversation

Many people are curious about the status and consequences of the current U.S. criminal justice system. Topics like mass incarceration, the School to Prison Pipeline, and Community-Police Relations are receiving attention at state and federal levels of government, adding to the growing sense we could be doing better. Throughout the country, schools and communities are working together with local courts and police departments to explore changing how crime is addressed with a method called Restorative Justice.

Restorative Justice is based in ancient practices of indigenous peoples from around the world. People who have caused harm take ownership of their actions and commit to repairing relationships with victims and the community. Some see this as the answer to our current justice system, which can be adversarial, overly punitive and encourage a denial of responsibility. Others would say punishment is a more effective deterrent to crime, and that incarceration keeps our communities safer. In this conversation, we will explore personal experiences around justice and restoration and what the principles of Restorative Justice really look like in our lives and communities.