To reduce conflict, “Restorative Justice” systems are used in schools. The system uses a similar model used by the criminal justice system. While being a growing social movement, more schools tend to practice this. The system focuses on repairing misbehavior to give all involved an opportunity to discuss how they’ve been affected. Focusing on building relationships with offenders and preparing them for reintroduction.
The system runs on the five R’s: Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Repair, and Reintegration.
Restorative Justice Consists of 3 tiers
Tier 1: Prevention
Tier 1 is about community building. Teachers lead students in circles of sharing. In this youth, open up about their fears and goals. The circles value inclusiveness, respect, and support healing.
Tier 2: Intervention
Tier 2 comes into play when students break a rule or cause harm to someone else. In traditional systems, this results in punishment. Restorative justice turns it into meditation. Giving the offending student a chance to come forward and make things right. They meet with the affected party and a mediator.
Tier 3: Reintegration
Tier 3 aims to help those who’ve missed school due to expulsion, incarceration, truancy, and suspension. reentering school, many students quickly re-offend or drop out again. This practice seeks to reduce that by providing a supportive environment. They acknowledge students’ challenges while promoting accountability and achievement.
Local Restorative Justice Programs
“St. Agatha helped establish the first community-based restorative justice court in Illinois here in North Lawndale. The court is part of the entire Cook County Court System,” shared Father Larry Dowling of St. Agatha Catholic Church. Additionally, a local African American Baptist minister, Rev. Dr. Robert Spicer, does restorative justice mentoring in Chicago and is a is nationally known advocate for these types of programs.
Restorative justice In Effect
Students take part in 5-day courses instead of being suspended or expelled. These courses are a Caring Connections Session course or a course on the impact of hate behavior. That is to shift punishment to learning.
Students will be suspended if they fail to meet the requirements or are deemed dangerous by the school. The Parents Defending Education (PDE) organization released documents of schools promoting these restorative justice systems. These documents also reveal the system has been “tried in countless districts” and is failing as it leads students to feel there are no real consequences to their actions.
As a result of “hate speech” and acts, more schools use these justice systems. Many schools in New Mexico train staff under this new disciplinary approach. These have circles of sharing, classroom agreements to build community, and focuses on meditation. These help students understand the root of their behavior and how they will do better.
“Restorative Justice is about self-regulation, responsible decision making. You want to help students do a lot of reflection on their behaviors, their actions,” said Pandora Mike, a principal of a New Mexico school.
In California, two students were suspended for five days for misgendering a trans student. The principal says the students ran as he tried to correct them. Additionally, the principal stated they will educate the students on transgender after their suspension.
Issues in Restorative Justice
Some might believe these systems aren’t helpful. In some situations, they can fail to restore offenders and victims and fail to effect real change. A critique of justice systems in schools suggests that often leave professionals out of the conversation. Dr. Albert W. Dzur and Susan M. Olson argue that this sector of justice cannot be successful without professionals. They claim that professionals can aid in avoiding problems that come up with informal justice.
Additionally, some critics see the system as an incomplete model that fails to fix inequalities that make certain people more likely to be offenders than others. Experts agree, in order to support validity and how the system is implemented, more research is needed.
By Jamarion Thomas
Sources:
Fox News: California school district applies ‘restorative justice’ programs instead of suspensions, expulsions
Santa Fe New Mexican: More N.M. schools pursue restorative justice
Edutopia: Restorative justice: resources for school
Top and featured image, courtesy of Erno Hannink’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First inset image, courtesy of community justice Scotland’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
