With origins in the juvenile justice system, the goals of restorative practices are to heal both victims and student offenders, hold offenders responsible for their behavior, and strengthen the school community to prevent further harm.
Read more - Restorative Practices
Resources for Restorative Practices
Related Briefs
Outside Resources
Vermont Association of Court Diversion Programs
This new online video that explains how Vermont's court diversion program, an alternative to the traditional court system, works. The 9-minute video highlights how the program's restorative justice approach benefits participants and the community. Approximately 10 percent of misdemeanor charges in Vermont are handled through diversion at significant savings to the state; participants who successfully complete the program avoid a criminal conviction.
Restorative Practices: A Guide for Educators
The National Opportunity to Learn Campaign has provided a toolbox for educators interested in using restorative practices in their schools.
An Alternative to Suspension and Expulsion: 'Circle Up!'
The Oakland Unified School District is at the forefront of a new approach to school misconduct and discipline by using restorative justice, which seeks to resolve conflicts instead of suspending or expelling students for fighting or acting out.
Restorative Justice Community Action
This organization allows for a process that holds offenders accountable by requiring them to face the consequences of their actions instead of punitive punishment. Offenders serve to improve the quality of the community in which they live or damaged.
Living Amends: Neighbors on the Northside
Empower community members to build positive connections with adult and youth offenders as they give back to the community to restore harm or damaged they have caused. This organization allows for an honest conversation about the offense in order to help the individual understand the impact of the choices they’ve made on their community.
MN Department of Education: Restorative Interventions Implementation Toolkit
Tools and resources for school staff and other adults trained to facilitate conferences and circles to repair harm in educational settings and designed to assess readiness, implementation and outcomes for school-based restorative discipline models.
Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project (IBARJ)
The Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project (IBARJ) is a 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to expand and sustain the availability of balanced and restorative justice practices and programs for citizens of Illinois through leadership, education, and promotion.