Restorative Justice Blog

Restorative justice and system change

Carl Stauffer — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:34:31 +0000

Ross London, in his recent book, Crime, Punishment and Criminal Justice – From Margins to Mainstream, argues that much of the identity crisis of the RJ field has been caused by the misguided notion of a “paradigm shift” popularized by my colleague Howard Zehr, one of the founding voices in the RJ movement, in his [...]

Imprints of justice – introducing Carl Stauffer

Howard Zehr — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:12:00 +0000

I am pleased that my friend and colleague Carl Stauffer has agreed to co-author this blog with me. Carl has brought new wisdom, insights and energy to our program and will be providing academic leadership in restorative justice now that I’m semi-retired. I have invited Carl to introduce himself below. – Howard I [...]

Upcoming webinars on schools and prison

Howard Zehr — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:18:16 +0000

Two new webinars are coming up. The Promise and Challenge of Restorative Justice Practices in Schools School applications are probably the fastest growing area of restorative justice. What are the potential benefits? What are the barriers and challenges to implanting restorative justice practices? What works and what does not? In this webinar, Nancy Riestenberg and [...]

Restoration is a metaphor

Howard Zehr — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:15:36 +0000

In an earlier blog entry I discussed the importance of metaphor and promised to say more about how this applies to justice. Here, finally, are more thoughts on metaphors and justice. The following points are inspired by James Geary’s book, I Is An Other: The Secret Life or Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way [...]

Does restorative justice need forgiveness?

Howard Zehr — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:00:21 +0000

Webinar: Does Restorative Justice Need Forgiveness?: A dialogue with Sujatha Baliga On January 5, The New York Times Magazine carried a story about the use of a restorative conference in a murder case in the early stages of the legal process, prior to a plea. The case was also highlighted on theToday Show a few days later. The story was [...]

Real world restorative justice webinar series and more

Howard Zehr — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:11:15 +0000

I realize that a new blog entry is overdue, and that the following does not get me off the hook, but here is an announcement. Our program is launching a new series of restorative justice webinars entitled Real World Restorative Justice. The first four will be free and I will be hosting most of them. [...]

Metaphors matter – in photography and in justice

Howard Zehr — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:49:14 +0000

Our metaphors matter – in photography and in justice As a photographer, I’ve often reflected on how frequently photographs serve to divide rather than create connections between people. It is so tempting to emphasize the “otherness” of subjects rather than what we have in common. As a result, photographs often leave subjects feeling degraded and [...]

Where will we find justice for Trayvon Martin?

Howard Zehr — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:59:16 +0000

The following is an invited guest post by my friend, colleague and fellow Morehouse College grad, David Anderson Hooker. I have good news and bad news for the family and supporters of Trayvon Martin: The ‘justice’ you seek is not in the system from which you seek it! If this sounds like a Jedi mind [...]

Beware of labels

Howard Zehr — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:38:56 +0000

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a friend of some 20 years. Tyrone Werts is a wise man, a leader, an inspiration to many, who has spent years organizing and helping to sustain others. He has long been actively engaged in efforts to reduce violence in society. Tyrone Werts, early 1990s [...]

Restorative justice principles and indicators

Howard Zehr — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:13:17 +0000

As a response to earlier blog entries, Jon Kidde developed an RJ continuum and set of principles or indicators. With his permission, I am posting them as a guest entry. Jon welcomes feedback on these. To see a larger version of the continuum, click here. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: principles and indicators Engagement Involve those impacted/affected, [...]