What is
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“Restorative justice is a philosophy, a set of practices and a nonviolent social movement. Rather than focusing on punishment, it seeks to repair harm.
Rooted in various indigenous philosophies (i.e., First Nations people of the Yukon, the Maori in New Zealand, and many more), restorative justice emphasizes healing harm and inviting all affected to dialogue together.” - Insight Prison Project, 2015
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How does it
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“At the center of the restorative justice philosophy is the understanding of the importance of engaging [survivors] in a healthy way so they can feel empowered and are supported to make meaning out of their experience.
It assumes that the persons most affected by crime should have the opportunity to become involved in resolving the conflict.” – Insight Prison Project, 2015
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How do we live it? |
TPP’s programming offers opportunities for deep sharing and learning to identify feelings, regulate emotions, self-love, empowerment, build community connections, humanize self and others, and build empathy. All programming contains the same core components:
Grounding - A guided meditation that centers participants on the conversation. Often, this is the first experience participants have with meditation or similar practices. This guided experience also lays the foundation for participants to begin to incorporate this practice into their daily lives. Check-In – An opportunity for each participant to briefly share meaningful updates in their lives, or how they are feeling in the moment. Facilitated Discussion – Depending on the format, the discussion portion may be on a predetermined topic of conversation or a selected reading that is relevant to the group. The first session is generally a time for circle keepers/facilitators to introduce themselves and share their stories. This models the sharing format and lets participants know that others in the room truly understand their experiences. With TPP, circle keepers/facilitators are often formerly-incarcerated/system-impacted individuals. Recognizing that many participants are not familiar with speaking about their trauma, initial questions may be more general. For example, “name a hurt that you are going through now” or “share one thing in life that hurts you”. This allows participants to speak about their feelings, and to begin to understand how traumatic events impact their lives. Check-Out – An opportunity for each participant to talk about how they feel after the session and to share thoughts. Closing – A thoughtful poem, quote, or reading that acts as an endcap to the session. |