Restorative Justice

Abstract

For decades, public schools in the United States have employed retributive discipline systems that rely heavily on exclusion as a primary means to mete punishment. More recently, some schools have begun employing restorative practices which encourage relationship-building, healing, learning, and collaboration before, during, and after discipline events. Used proactively as a means to build a culture of caring and support, restorative circles foster communication and relationship-building among school stakeholders, but restorative conferences and circles may also be used in lieu of exclusion as alternatives to traditional discipline models. Advocates of restorative justice assert that recidivism is reduced through purposeful community-building processes espoused by RJ principles.