EDT 344 Toolkit Presentation: Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice
Created by: Paige Russo, Bella Lundgren, Mary Horvath, and Grace Gilkison
Restorative Justice
in terms of the justice system
“Restorative justice seeks to examine the harmful impact of a crime and then determines what can be done to repair that harm while holding the person who caused it accountable for his or her actions. Accountability for the offender means accepting responsibility and acting to repair the harm done. Outcomes seek to both repair the harm and address the reasons for the offense, while reducing the likelihood of re-offense. Rather than focusing on the punishment meted out, restorative justice measures results by how successfully the harm is repaired.”
University of Wiscosin-Madison Law School
Principles of Restorative Justice
Crime is a violation of people and relationships
Crime hurts individual victims, communities, and offenders and creates obligations to put things right. Restoration means repairing the harm done and rebuilding relationships in the community.
Victims and the community are central to the justice process
All parties should be a part of the response to a crime—victim (if he or she chooses to be involved), community, and the offender.
A primary focus of a justice process is to assist victims and address needs
The victim’s perspective is key to determining how to repair the harm resulting from the crime.
The secondary focus is restoring the community to the degree possible
The offender has a personal responsibility to victims and to the community for wrongs committed. Parties involved in the restorative justice process share responsibility for repairing harm through partnerships for action. The community has a responsibility for the well-being of all its members, including both victims and offenders.
All human beings have dignity and worth
Victim and offender are both able to move forward with respect, and dignity, and are re-integrated into the broader community as much as possible.
-University of Wiscosin-Madison Law School
Graphic Organizer
Restorative Justice in Schools
Healing the Harm in Schools
Michelle Chatman
Young Children's Understanding of Restorative Justice
A study done in China by Frontiers
“The children also tended to endorse restorative treatments at the community level, revealing an understanding of the needs, and obligations of all parties concerned.”
Essentially - students want restorative justice practices as young as five years-old.
3 Tiers of Restorative Justice in Schools
Tier 1- Prevention
Community building as a preventative measure
Students help to create a climate for restorative justice to occur
Start the year with a classroom respect agreement
Tier 2- Intervention
When someone breaks rules or causes harm instead of punishment turn to mediation
The offending student has a chance to meet with affected parties and a mediator
The mediator asks questions like, "What happened?", "How did it happen?", and "what can we do to make it right?"
Come up with a plan and make sure it is fulfilled
Tier 3- Reintegration
Aims to help students who have been out of school due to suspension, expulsion, incarceration, or truancy.
Aim to stop the cycle of returning to those things by acknowledging students' challenges while promoting accountability and achievement
5 R's of Restorative Justice
Relationship
Respect
Responsibility
Repair
Reintegration
Questions to Prompt Restorative Justice
What happened?
What were you thinking at the time?
Who have you thought about since?
Who has been affected by your actions?
How could things have been done differently?
What do you think you need to do to make things right?
Restorative Circles: Creating a Safe Environment for Students to Reflect
Edutopia
"How restorative justice transformed this Oakland school"
A Podcast by Education Beat
Five years ago, Fremont High in Oakland had some of the highest discipline rates and lowest attendance in the city. Only 1 in 4 graduates were qualified to attend public college in California. One in 3 dropped out entirely. Today, with a newly rebuilt campus and an intensive focus on improving campus climate, Fremont has seen its enrollment jump, and the number of students who qualify for college admission has nearly tripled.
Students and staff say the restorative justice program is a big part of how that transformation occurred.
Wally & Freya
Restorative Justice for Kids
Everyone knows Wally is a bully. He steals lunch every day from Bella Jo the bear, calls Oliver the owl mean names, and never shares the crayons. So when the other animals decide to write a story together and the notebook disappears, there is little doubt that Wally has taken it. But what the animals don't know is why Wally acts the way he does. As they unravel the mystery of the missing notebook, they also begin to understand Wally, which leads to a surprising and joyous discovery. This sweet story teaches children empathy and the amazing power of kindness and inclusion. The first in a new series on restorative justice practices for kids, this book is sure to delight children and grownups alike.
One
Restorative Justice for Kids
Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count. As budding young readers learn about numbers, counting, and primary and secondary colors, they also learn about accepting each other's differences and how it sometimes just takes one voice to make everyone count.
