About Restorative Justice
Restorative practices and philosophies are rooted in Indigenous cultures around the world. We give gratitude to those who shared their wisdom to grow these practices.
For news on how Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice is responding to the pandemic and calls for reform after the murder of George Floyd, check out this Feature Article, Restorative Justice: Just What is It? from the August 2020 issue of the Longfellow Messenger.
For another lens, view this sermon from Pilgrim Lutheran Church where Michele Braley, SLRJ Executive Director, was the guest preacher reflecting on the book and movie Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson that the congregation recently studied.
Michele connects the work of Bryan Stevenson and the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that followed with her personal reflections on the ways we are each connected and complicit.
View the whole service from September 13, 2020 here, or jump ahead to 22:45 to watch the sermon.
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Crime damages people, communities, and relationships. Restorative justice examines the harm caused by an offense and emphasizes the needs of those impacted in developing a plan for the harm to be repaired. In contrast, the court system emphasizes laws broken and assigns “punishment” accordingly.
Restorative Conferences
Neighborhood residents founded Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice (SLRJ) in 2004 to work with youth cited for breaking the law in order to help them learn from their mistakes and make amends. Until recently, the majority of referrals came from the Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
As awareness of restorative justice (RJ) grows, so do requests from people who prefer to not involve the legal system. For example, SLRJ assisted a resident who had a wallet stolen by a youth known to her, we brought together neighbors after a teen assaulted an adult who intervened to prevent underage drinking and driving, we worked with a church who experienced property damage from youth using the building.
SLRJ uses a restorative conference process that includes preparation with both parties and culminates in a conversation about what happened, how did it cause harm, and the creation of a plan to “make things right”. The process is facilitated by trained volunteers and involves the person who did harm and their supporters, the person harmed and their supporters, and community members.
Trained volunteer facilitators guide conferences to give everyone a voice and create an opportunity to make things as right as possible. Facilitators complete 15 hours of training, followed by mentoring.
Community representatives participate in conferences to share how crime impacts our whole community. After a short orientation, anyone with a stake in 55406 can be added to the list of potential community representatives for conferences.
A restorative agreement or plan is developed through consensus among the participants. Agreements specify tangible actions to be performed within an acceptable timeframe. Typical agreements to repair the harm include apology letters, volunteer work, personal development activities, school engagement, or employment search.
For news on how Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice is responding to the pandemic and calls for reform after the murder of George Floyd, check out this Feature Article, Restorative Justice: Just What is It? from the August 2020 issue of the Longfellow Messenger.
For another lens, view this sermon from Pilgrim Lutheran Church where Michele Braley, SLRJ Executive Director, was the guest preacher reflecting on the book and movie Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson that the congregation recently studied.
Michele connects the work of Bryan Stevenson and the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that followed with her personal reflections on the ways we are each connected and complicit.
View the whole service from September 13, 2020 here, or jump ahead to 22:45 to watch the sermon.
---------------------------------------
Crime damages people, communities, and relationships. Restorative justice examines the harm caused by an offense and emphasizes the needs of those impacted in developing a plan for the harm to be repaired. In contrast, the court system emphasizes laws broken and assigns “punishment” accordingly.
Restorative Conferences
Neighborhood residents founded Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice (SLRJ) in 2004 to work with youth cited for breaking the law in order to help them learn from their mistakes and make amends. Until recently, the majority of referrals came from the Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
As awareness of restorative justice (RJ) grows, so do requests from people who prefer to not involve the legal system. For example, SLRJ assisted a resident who had a wallet stolen by a youth known to her, we brought together neighbors after a teen assaulted an adult who intervened to prevent underage drinking and driving, we worked with a church who experienced property damage from youth using the building.
SLRJ uses a restorative conference process that includes preparation with both parties and culminates in a conversation about what happened, how did it cause harm, and the creation of a plan to “make things right”. The process is facilitated by trained volunteers and involves the person who did harm and their supporters, the person harmed and their supporters, and community members.
Trained volunteer facilitators guide conferences to give everyone a voice and create an opportunity to make things as right as possible. Facilitators complete 15 hours of training, followed by mentoring.
Community representatives participate in conferences to share how crime impacts our whole community. After a short orientation, anyone with a stake in 55406 can be added to the list of potential community representatives for conferences.
A restorative agreement or plan is developed through consensus among the participants. Agreements specify tangible actions to be performed within an acceptable timeframe. Typical agreements to repair the harm include apology letters, volunteer work, personal development activities, school engagement, or employment search.
What participants say...
“This is a powerful process”, |
“If the criminal justice system was as effective as this program we would be a much safer society.”, |
“This is a wonderful program and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate”. |
“Thank you for taking the time to care about my child”, |