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Restorative Justice

 

The Prison Society's Restorative Justice Program seeks to change the lives of incarcerated people and the prison environment by challenging all to embrace values of accountability, respect, restoration and nonviolence.


"My mind kept rolling back and forth after the RJ seminar. It opened up ways of seeing victims and what they go through when a crime is committed. It made me wonder "What would it be like if someone killed my father?" The most hurting thing for me is that after knowing all this being a lifer does not give me the opportunity to redeem my family, my community and myself."
- RJ seminar participant

The program provides opportunities for incarcerated men and women:

  1. To explore the victim experience and ways in which to be accountable for their crimes;
  2. To explore their own personal experiences with victimization and their needs for healing;
  3. To apply restorative justice principles in their everyday lives.

The Restorative Justice Program invites community members to assist incarcerated individuals in their journeys of responsibility and personal healing and in rebuilding relationships with the broader community. In addition, the Restorative Justice Program strives to build relationships with the Department of Corrections and victim service providers and advocates, including the Office of the Victim Advocate.

Current program activities include:

  1. 24 Hour Prison-Based Restorative Justice Seminar
  2. Day of Responsibility
  3. A Body in Motion
  4. Opportunities for Shared Dialogue
  5. Mediation Support Services

"The last RJ class helped me to see crime and justice from different sides; victims, families and the community. It made me realize that what I did harmed many people. It also reminded me how I connect with people and how that connection can be opportunities for either growth or destruction."
- RJ seminar participant

The program supports the efforts of restorative justice committees formed by incarcerated men and women at various prisons around the state. The members of these committees develop projects that educate about, and put into practice, restorative justice within prison.

The Restorative Justice Program is currently exploring the creation of a prison-based victim services model. This model would serve men and women who become victims of crime while incarcerated or when their families and communities of care become victims on the outside.

People behind the walls have taught us what restorative justice is for them:

  1. Definitions of restorative justice written by incarcerated men and women
  2. Reasons why incarcerated people are interested in restorative justice
  3. The power of restorative justice
  4. Ideas for doing restorative justice

Restorative Justice Resources Links

Now available:
     Critical Issues in Restorative Justice
     Edited by Howard Zehr and Barb Toews


Contact:
     Barb Toews
     Restorative Justice Program Manager
     215-564-6005, ext. 117