Restorative Justice vs. Transformative Justice
While I studied restorative practices, my education was from a predominantly white institution. Whenever possible we (white people) should learn about these ideas, tools, philosophies, and ways of being from Indigenous people, Black, Latinx, and people of color who are the creators and leaders of the movement for accountability outside of State violence. When we (white people) learn about these ancient indigenous practices only from other white people we are not accountable to those we owe the knowledge to…
What is the difference between Restorative Justice & Transformative Justice?
While I studied restorative practices, my education was from a predominantly white institution. Whenever possible we (white people) should learn about these ideas, tools, philosophies, and ways of being from Indigenous people, Black, Latinx, and people of color who are the creators and leaders of the movement for accountability outside of State violence. When we (white people) learn about these ancient indigenous practices only from other white people we are not accountable to those we owe the knowledge to.
So, while I’ll share my thoughts briefly about the distinctions as I have come to understand them, I mostly want to connect you to BIPOC leaders in the field doing the work.
The Aim of Restorative Practices as defined by the IIRP is to develop community and to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.
But can harm always be repaired?
Can relationships always be restored?
To restore something, in its most rigid definition means to return something to its original form or condition. But if the relationship was unhealthy or oppressive to begin with, then transformation not restoration, must be the goal. I believe this to be one of the central critiques of Restorative Justice.
However, I offer the following expertise from Black, Indigenous, people of color leaders in the field who spoke at the Jane Doe November 2020 virtual conference on Restorative Justice & Transformative Justice for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence.
Mimi Kim said that restorative justice is often tied to the criminal legal system, whereas transformative justice seeks to work outside of the system with the goal being abolition.
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha defined transformative justice as “any means of creating justice and healing that don’t rely on the police state,” from circles to safety planning, to telling someone at the bus stop who is harassing another person to STOP.
Ejeris Dixon offered that there is nothing new about transformative justice. She said, oppressed communities have been using strategies outside of the carcel system for generations.
Strong Oak Lefebvre shared that many indigenous people will not use the services of domestic violence agencies due to the historic trauma of schools separating and stealing children away from their families. This calls for community solutions outside of the system and Strong Oak reminded us that, “Harm doesn’t just happen to two people.”
I believe in abolition. However, I also believe that restorative justice used in combination with the current legal system is better than nothing. I’m committed to providing restorative services that acknowledge and address oppression. While I call what I do restorative justice, I believe that any meaningful repair requires a commitment to transformation.