I BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE COMMUNITIES THAT:

• Center the needs of those who are hurting.

• Believe people.

• Hold people accountable for the harms they’ve done, without throwing them away.

• Examine the ways in which we as a community have failed those who do harm.

 
 
 
 
 

I BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE communities of care where repair is possible, transformation is expected, and the journey to get there is supported.

 
 
 
 

Our current criminal justice system, in addition to being founded on white
supremacy steals our conflicts away from us by making crimes
more about the law broken than the harm done.

Restorative Justice gives it back.


While victim advocates do their best to communicate the wishes of those
harmed to the lawyers and judges, criminal cases are against the State, not
the individual harmed. This means the needs of the real
victim are secondary to the wishes of the State.

Restorative Justice centers the needs of those who are hurting.


Our current system requires victims to prove they were harmed.

Restorative Justice believes people.


Our current system over incarcerates people, especially Black, Indigenous and
other people of color, and permanently denies many access to housing,
income, and voting rights by permanently branding people felons.

Restorative Justice holds people accountable for the
harms they’ve done, without throwing them away.


Our current system wants us to believe that people who commit crimes are bad,
and that they themselves are solely responsible for the harm.

Restorative Justice separates the deed from the doer,
rejecting the harmful act, but not the person, and asks the
community to examine their role in the incident.

 

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