What is
restorative
justice? 

“Restorative justice seeks to create responses to violence that do what criminal punishment systems fail to do: build support and more safety for the person harmed, figure out how the broader context was set up for this harm to happen, and how that context can be changed so that this harm is less likely to happen again”
        -Mariame Kama, We Do This 'Til We Free Us

Restorative Justice is a philosophy, a social movement, and a way of life. Rooted in Indigenous practices, RJ recognizes interpersonal conflict as the responsibility of the community and seeks to repair harm rather than to punish. RJ works to understand and address the underlying unmet needs and societal conditions that contribute to harm, and to restore decision-making power back into the hands of those most affected. RJ acknowledges that justice needs to be a survivor-centered and community-led process. 

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How does it
​work? 

​“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."
     -Insight Prison Project

RJ is centered around the Circle Process. "Circles" refer to a series of guided groups where dialogue is facilitated between those who have caused harm, referred to as the  "Responsible Party", and those who have experience harm, referred to as the "Impacted Party". These Circles are lead by Restorative Justice Facilitators, or "Circle Keepers", who expertly guide and support program participants using both training and lived experience. The Circles often contain community members and participant support systems who help the Responsible and Impacted Party to come to an agreement of what amends and restoring harm looks like. 

Restorative Justice is always an invitation. This means that it is an entirely voluntary process, and highly individualized to each participant. 

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​How does Restorative Justice differ from the current legal system?

Our current legal system employs a punitive response to harm where folks who are accused of violating laws are responded to with incarceration, criminal sanctions, and punishment. Restorative Justice offers a rehabilitative responds to harm where both those who cause harm and experience harm are offered resources, support, and autonomy.

Current (Traditional) Justice	Restorative Justice
Crime violates the state and its laws	Crime violates people and relationships ​
Justice focuses on establishing guilt	Justice identifies needs and obligations
Focus on past behavior - did they do it? ​	Focus on the present and future
Accountability = Punishment	Accountability = understanding impact, repairing harm ​
One social injury replaced by another	Focus on repair of social injury
Community sidelined, represented by state	Community facilitates restorative process
Winner/loser conflict between adversaries	Encourages dialogue, mutual agreement
State action directed at responsible party - impacted party often ignored	Impacted party, community, and responsible party all have direct roles
Rules and intent outweigh outcomes	Responsible party is responsible for behavior and repairs harm ​
Debt to society	Debt to impacted party and community
Stigma of crime unremovable	Stigma of crime removable
No opportunities for remorse or amends	Possibilities for amends and expressions of remorse

Adapted from Howard Zher's ​"Changing Lenses", ​1990

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