About Our Work
What are Restorative Practices?
Restorative Practices are a set of tools, developed out of the principles of Restorative Justice, that are used to build and repair relationships among community members, oftentimes serving as an alternative to punitive discipline. Restorative Practices are designed to foster healthy dialogue and increase mutual understanding and empathy among the participants, leading to an overall sense of connection and increasing the capacity to handle conflict in a way that promotes growth and repairs relationships.
Restorative Practices offer a way outside of the criminal justice system to address conflict and harm and promote community building. These practices can be used in any setting where people work and live together--schools, businesses, or community groups. This focus on learning makes these practices ideal for a school setting where adults and young people can work together to find creative and supportive ways to deal with the normal, and sometimes difficult, aspects of being part of a community. These practices address the inevitable conflicts that happen in any community and help both students and adults learn how to build meaningful relationships with one another.
Schools are adopting Restorative Practices because they incorporate the values of Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Trauma Informed Teaching and Culturally Responsive Teaching. They provide an avenue for young people and adults to deal with the everyday challenges of being part of a community. Community Building Circles are the foundational practice of this work and an important aspect of a restorative approach.
How are they related to Restorative Justice?
Restorative Practices have grown from the principles of Restorative Justice, which is a community-based way of addressing crime and repairing harm that has been practiced in many cultures around the world for ages. In contrast to the modern-day criminal justice system, which is based on shame and punishment as a response to crime, Restorative Justice incorporates the values of inclusion, relationship, responsibility, and reparation as an approach to dealing with conflict and harm. The intent, when used to address harm, is that the offender learns from the process and does not repeat the offense, and that the person who experienced harm receives what they need to move forward. Through a confidential and in-depth circle process, all parties involved in the crime have a chance to speak and be heard, and come to an agreement about how to move forward together. Restorative Justice often leads to a greater sense of resolution, satisfaction, and justice on all sides, offering an opportunity for healing and repair.
What is Restorative Justice?
"Restorative justice is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in an offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs and obligations, in order to heal and put things right as possible."
– Howard Zehr, PhD, The Little Book of Restorative Justice, 2002
Restorative Justice shifts the focus from placing blame and punishment on the offender for the crime committed to addressing the harm created and the needs of the victim. In the Criminal Justice system we ask: What rules have been broken? Who did it? And what is the consequence? In Restorative Justice we ask: Who has been harmed? What do they need? And who is responsible? For a full description of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices, see our blog
What is the “Circle Process?”
A key element of this work--both in restorative justice programs and in the use of restorative practices in schools--is that participants work together in a circle. The circle has significance both as a way for everyone to see one another and as an indication that all participants are equal. The purpose of using a circle is to indicate explicitly an intentional process for communication. This circle practice has some key elements:
The talking piece: to make clear who has permission to speak
The guidelines: created by the group to describe expectations for behavior
The keeper: a facilitator for the process who is also a member of the group
For a full description of the Circle Process, see our Guide that can be viewed or downloaded on this site.
Where is this happening?
Across the United States and in other parts of the world, Restorative Justice is being utilized in schools, police departments, courts and in communities. In some cases and places, Restorative Justice serves as an alternative to the criminal justice system and to punitive discipline in schools.
How can I learn more about this?
If you’re ready to dive into learning about Restorative Practices, we offer open trainings. Our trainings include: Introduction to Restorative Practices, Restorative Conferencing, Restorative Practices for Classroom Teachers, Restorative Practices for Caregivers. For more on our services contact us at inquiry@pathways2rc.com. If you’d like to learn more about Restorative Justice and Restorative practices, see our Resources page.