A friend referred me to a group in Houston organizing educators, students and resources
to promote Restorative Justice in schools to stop the pipeline to prisons. Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston
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What is Restorative Justice?
From the Restorative Justice Project, National Council on Crime and Delinquency:
"Restorative justice offers alternatives to our traditional juvenile and criminal justice systems and harsh school discipline processes. Rather than focusing on punishment, restorative justice seeks to repair the harm done. At its best, through face-to-face dialogue, restorative justice results in consensus-based plans that meet victim-identified needs in the wake of a crime. This can take many forms, most notably conferencing models, victim-offender dialogue, and circle processes. In applications with youth, it can prevent both contact with the juvenile justice system and school expulsions and suspensions. Restorative justice also holds the potential for victims and their families to have a direct voice in determining just outcomes, and reestablishes the role of the community in supporting all parties affected by crime. Several restorative models have been shown to reduce recidivism and, when embraced as a larger-scale solution to wrongdoing, can minimize the social and fiscal costs of crime."
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Do you know of any local programs near you that work on Restorative Justice models?
What is your impression of these, are they working effectively or not?
Most of the groups I support run on restorative approaches to conflict resolution and responsibility for corrections so it builds community by restoring working relations.
I believe that Restorative Justice approaches can transform prisons and prevent crime, saving billions in taxes wasted on crime and punishment that can be better invested in preventative health care, education, and medical treatment services to serve the broader populations.
We wouldn't be fighting over health care mandates and insurance if we reformed our prisons,
and redirected resources wasted on that to pay for health care and education instead.
Please post any references here to programs that you find could reform either the prison, mental health, or health care systems by investing in rehab, recovery and restitution for abuses to pay back costs to the public.
to promote Restorative Justice in schools to stop the pipeline to prisons. Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston
================================================
What is Restorative Justice?
From the Restorative Justice Project, National Council on Crime and Delinquency:
"Restorative justice offers alternatives to our traditional juvenile and criminal justice systems and harsh school discipline processes. Rather than focusing on punishment, restorative justice seeks to repair the harm done. At its best, through face-to-face dialogue, restorative justice results in consensus-based plans that meet victim-identified needs in the wake of a crime. This can take many forms, most notably conferencing models, victim-offender dialogue, and circle processes. In applications with youth, it can prevent both contact with the juvenile justice system and school expulsions and suspensions. Restorative justice also holds the potential for victims and their families to have a direct voice in determining just outcomes, and reestablishes the role of the community in supporting all parties affected by crime. Several restorative models have been shown to reduce recidivism and, when embraced as a larger-scale solution to wrongdoing, can minimize the social and fiscal costs of crime."
==================================================
Do you know of any local programs near you that work on Restorative Justice models?
What is your impression of these, are they working effectively or not?
Most of the groups I support run on restorative approaches to conflict resolution and responsibility for corrections so it builds community by restoring working relations.
I believe that Restorative Justice approaches can transform prisons and prevent crime, saving billions in taxes wasted on crime and punishment that can be better invested in preventative health care, education, and medical treatment services to serve the broader populations.
We wouldn't be fighting over health care mandates and insurance if we reformed our prisons,
and redirected resources wasted on that to pay for health care and education instead.
Please post any references here to programs that you find could reform either the prison, mental health, or health care systems by investing in rehab, recovery and restitution for abuses to pay back costs to the public.
