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We deliver these resource links to facilitate discovery of the meaning and value of restorative practices and restorative justice.

Encouraging understanding, research and engagement.

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    'While I can talk about restorative justice from the framework of Scripture and theology, this week I will rely on experts in the field.

    Teachers and practitioners Elaine Enns and Ched Myers define restorative justice and peacemaking as “a range of nonviolent responses to injustice, violation, and/or violence with the aim of reducing or halting the presenting violence in order that victims and offenders (as well as their communities and other stakeholders) can collectively identify harms, needs, and responsibilities so that they can determine how to make things as right as possible, which can include covenants of accountability, restitution, reparations and (ideally) reconciliation.”'

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    'Schools need to be transformed into communities where everyone belongs, where differences are accepted and membership is unconditional. Schools can and should be places that all students can love. Making this change will require educators to think differently about student behavior and reflect on how they respond to it.

    Real discipline should be more than deciding what consequences to use with students; it should always be about learning. So when students break the rules or have trouble, educators need to ask, "How can we help them learn what they need to learn, and how can we meet their needs?"

    The answers to those questions should shape both our discipline practices and the type of school that we provide for our children.'

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    'The Justice Reform Initiative is an alliance of people who share long-standing professional experience, lived experience and/or expert knowledge of the justice system, who are further supported by a movement of Australians of goodwill from across the country and across the political spectrum.

    We believe jailing is failing and that there is an urgent need to reduce the number of people in Australian prisons. We believe that the over-use of prisons is fundamentally harmful to those in prison, their family and friends, and the broader community.

    We believe that prisons are ineffective as a deterrent, ineffective at reducing crime, and ineffective at addressing the drivers of criminal justice system involvement. We believe that the over-use of incarceration is a waste of human potential and a misuse of taxpayer dollars.

    The evidence shows that the majority of people entering prison usually arrive there because of an underpinning cycle of disadvantage and that prison both exacerbates and entrenches a broader cycle of disadvantage, which needs to be broken.

    We believe the moment has come for change, with a combination of political, economic and social forces coalescing to create an opportunity to genuinely challenge and respond to our overreliance on incarceration – and offer up an alternative vision.'

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    'When Covid-19 struck, nurses across the world found themselves nursing in the face of a global pandemic. This was a far cry from the anticipated celebration of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife that year.

    This article discusses how I, while working as a professional nurse advocate at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, delivered a model of restorative supervision to support nursing staff whose ward was converted from its usual clinical practice as a cardiology ward to a ward dedicated to treating people diagnosed with Covid-19.'

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    'Howard Zehr is considered “the grandfather of restorative justice.”

    Zehr describes about the four key components:

    “Apology may be difficult but the formula is quite simple: an apology requires us to '

    1. name and take responsibility for the harm,

    2. acknowledge that it was wrong,

    3. express our regret for our actions and their effects, and

    4. seek to prevent such wrongs in the future.”

    The restorative justice framework adds a fifth piece to an apology which involves seeking to repair harm to the extent it is possible.'

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    '“Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing,” makes the case that cities with more green space, water features, street safety and social hubs and less congestion, noise, pollution and physical discomfort can make residents healthier and happier.

    If that seems like common sense, Jenny Roe, co-author of the book, who has been working passionately in the field of human-centered design for more than 15 years, doesn’t disagree. But it took a global pandemic, she says, before “the world was ready to listen.”'

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    'Overcrowding, noise and air pollution, long commutes and lack of daylight can take a huge toll on the mental well-being of city-dwellers. With mental healthcare services under increasing pressure, could a better approach to urban design and planning provide a solution?

    The restrictions faced by city residents around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought home just how much urban design can affect our mental health – and created an imperative to seize this opportunity.'

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    'Although written in 2002, these myths surrounding restorative justice are still very much a reality. Hope Howard Zehr’s words can guide you in your work in addressing some of these common misconceptions of RJ.

    Restorative justice is not the same as conflict resolution The principles of restorative justice share much in common with those of conflict resolution, and indeed some streams of restorative justice practice in North America developed out the field of conflict mediation.'

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    'What is restorative justice? There is no one definitive answer to this question. Restorative justice is a burgeoning philosophical framework that asks people to rethink the best way to respond to harmful behavior.

    Perhaps the most expansive definition comes from Griffith University criminologist Kathleen Daly, who calls restorative justice “a set of ideals about justice that assumes a generous, empathetic, supportive, and rational human spirit.”'

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    'Emotional literacy is a term bandied about in education and mainstream media, but what is it exactly? And more importantly, how does it enhance our work in the field of restorative practice? Being literate in something means you have a sound understanding of the concept and its structural elements along with the ability to flexibly apply the concept in various contexts.

    Having emotional literacy then suggests a sound understanding of emotions – for example, their origins, their purpose, neurological and physiological components, their evolution over time, cultural distinctions, etc., and be able to use that information to benefit (or not) self or other in a variety of settings. '

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    'Fleming is also sceptical of the benefits of legislative change to address the issue. But instead of an app she believes Australia should move towards a restorative justice model to address sexual assault matters.

    Restorative justice is not a new concept but it gained fresh relevance during the MeToo movement in the US. It can encompass a variety of survivor-led actions to repair the harm caused by a sexual assault, including sometimes bringing the accuser and the accused together “to discuss what happened, what needs to happen, and find a way of healing or reparations”.'

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    Abstract

    Restorative justice has long been positioned as a justice mechanism that prioritises emotion and its expression. It is also unique in its ritual elements, such as the ritualized expression of anger and the symbolic exchange of apology and forgiveness.

    This paper draws on insights from research and practice in restorative justice and recent developments in criminology/legal theory and the philosophy of justice to suggest some ways that the broader criminal justice landscape can incorporate elements of successful restorative justice rituals into its practice.

    I argue that the unique elements of restorative justice- its ability to harness anger into a deliberative ritual for victims and offenders, its focus on symbolic reparations, and its ability to engender a form of forward-looking forgiveness that promotes civility can provide a framework for rethinking how criminal justice institutions operate.

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    Professional Certificate of Restorative Justice Short course Restorative justice is a professional development course designed to provide educators with guidance on how to build strong relationships in classrooms. You will learn how to create supportive and safe learning environments while at the same time being responsive to incidents of harm and conflict.

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    In my conversations with other educators, there is usually confusion around the definition of restorative practices due to the common emphasis placed on restorative justice, which focuses on repairing relationships when harm has occurred as an alternative to punitive approaches to discipline. In contrast, restorative practices focus on not only repairing, but also building and strengthening relationships and social connections within communities.

    The mainstream conception of restorative justice is credited to Howard Zehr and is thought to have originated within the criminal justice system in the 1970s. However, a 2017 report from the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice, notes the growing demand from the field that practitioners acknowledge many of the values and practices of restorative justice come directly from Indigenous communities in North America and across the globe.

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    WHAT ARE LISTENING CIRCLES? Listening Circles provide time, a safe space and an authentic audience where the voices of those who have been impacted by the sexual abuse crisis within the Catholic Church.

    Listening Circles are restorative in nature and they provide time, space and an authentic audience for the voice of those who have been impacted in some way by this crisis. The created space must be both sacred and safe. The voice of the process says, ‘we all care’ and ‘you matter’.

    The process has agreements that guide interactions. The agreements are transparent and help establish and maintain respect and equity. Listening Circles are NOT occasions for discussion or debate or decision making. Within this domain, there are no attempts to solve problems or to level blame.

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    An instructional manual on restorative justice in schools from world-leading experts; this 'how to' guide offers guidance on the issues of carrying out restorative practices, including coping with day-to-day problems, and offers worksheets for practical daily use.

    Beginning with challenges to orthodox thinking about behaviour change, it goes on to describe a multitude of approaches to respond to minor incidents in school settings, then takes a close look at using restorative approaches to bullying, before it finally focuses on the formal end of the continuum (including conference preparation and facilitation).

    This book is reflective of the evolution of processes and responses from the most serious of incidents through to minor everyday issues, making this an essential resource for all school staff.

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    Sara Templeton wants to meet her online bully face to face. The Christchurch city councillor wants to go through a restorative justice process with an online troll. She has had experience with these processes in the past and knows how useful they can be for both parties. Templeton is also calling for a review of the Harmful Digital Communications Act after receiving a number of messages from people who have had mixed success with the act.

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    Recalling the parable of the persistent widow who implored a judge every day to “render a just decision for me,” the pope said, the judges, too, are called to listen “to the cry of those who have no voice and suffer injustice” so that the power they receive with their mandate is always used to serve “in favor of the dignity of the human person and the common good.”

    “The people demand justice, and justice needs truth, trust, devotion and purity of purpose,” he said. However, there also needs to be a “culture of restorative justice” fostered in every society, because restorative justice is “the only and true antidote to revenge” and disregard, he said.

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    Dr. Howard Zehr, also known as the “grandfather of restorative justice,” has been documenting the impact of life sentences since the 1970s. Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on collaboration and communication between the offender and the victim. His new book Still Doing Life: 22 Lifers, 25 Years Later, checks in with individuals serving life sentences in Pennsylvania. The book is a sequel to his 1996 work Doing Life, which introduces the individuals and shares their stories.

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     The purpose of the handbook is to provide more in-depth information about restorative justice for professionals working with offenders, ex-offenders, or people at risk of violent radicalisation and group violence. Restorative justice is not in opposition to current criminal justice practices, but complementary. It has proven to provide the justice system with alternative approaches that when implemented properly can increase victim satisfaction, reduce re-o ending, and increase community cohesion. Throughout the handbook, different aspects of violent radicalisation and restorative justice are presented, from a general introduction of the topic to example of trauma informed practice. This information is presented in six modules, each of which concludes with a brief quiz.

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    The Australian National University and Australian Institute of Criminology were commissioned by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Justice and Community Safety Directorate to undertake an impact evaluation of the restorative justice conferencing program. There were two components to this evaluation.

    The first involved the analysis of surveys of offenders, victims and their support persons conducted by the Restorative Justice (RJ) Unit following each conference.

    The second involved using criminal history data provided by ACT Policing to conduct an analysis of reoffending among the 1,143 participants in restorative justice conferencing (RJC) compared with 4,668 young offenders dealt with at the same time through the normal process, whose criminal history had been tracked until September 2016.

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    Notes for an address by The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, QC, MP Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, September 13, 2018

    Extract: The first initiative is expanding the use of restorative justice, which emphasizes repairing the relationship between the victim and the offender. Restorative justice is focused more on collaboration and inclusivity, and is often more culturally relevant and responsive to specific communities. Victims have a powerful voice, and this process allows them to be heard and to heal, while at the same time, holding the offender accountable for their actions.

    In this sense, I sometimes view restorative justice as acting as a kind of “circuit-breaker” from the cycle that so many find themselves caught in. While restorative justice has been part of Canada’s criminal justice system for over 40 years, and has proven effective over that period, it is still not widely available across the country.

    A 2011 Department of Justice Canada report found that Indigenous people who completed a community-based alternative to mainstream justice, such as restorative justice, were significantly less likely to re-offend than those who did not. I am committed to expanding this resource so it can be more widely used and accepted across the country.

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    Video: Relationships First: Restorative Justice Education Do you wonder what is at the foundation of Restorative Justice Education? Have you ever wondered about things as simple as how to organize a circle in the space you have available? This clear and accessible description of the foundational components of a holistic approach to implementing Circle processes is unique in that it answers questions many of us are hesitant to ask. 2018.