UWRF School Counseling Student

Association presents:

Restorative Justice in Education

Kris Miner

Restorative Justice in Education

• School-Based Restorative Justice• Restorative Processes• School Applications• Research & Outcomes• SEL, Character Development, PBIS• A Teachers Experience

– Catherine Cranston, MN ISD 622• Panel Discussion

What

How

Why

Kris Miner: scvrjp@gmail.com 715-425-1100www.circle-space.org www.scvrjp.org

Peace & Belonging

• Restore Connections

• Promote Empathy• Increase Self-worth

“Reparative Exercises”

RJ in North America

• Elmira, Ontario – 1974 – Victim/Offender Reconciliation, link.

• Minnesota leads the nation, link.• 1990’s Nancy Riestenberg, link

“Restorative justice is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in a specific offense

and to collectively identify and address harms, needs, and

obligations, in order to heal and put things as right as possible.”

Restorative Justice*

• Conflict understood as a wound in relationships and fabric of the community

• Changing hearts and minds requires human encounter, acknowledgement of each other’s story, and tolerance of differences

• Focus is on humanizing the conflict and repairing the harm

• Creation of a safe place where people can speak and listen from the heart

• Suspension of judgmental attitudes

• Openness to hearing the life context of the other person

*Mark S. Umbreit, Ph.D.Center for Restorative Justice & PeacemakingUniversity of Minnesota, School of Social Work

• respect for all involved• rooted in deeper values

–equal worth of all people–appreciation for diversity–belief in interconnectedness

• Problem Solving/Empowering

Good Books Publishing

Restorative Process

• Return to a Balance• Restore Harmony• Make things Right• Plan for the future• Teaches self-governing

Blog Post on September 24Minnesota Restorative Services Coalition Resources

Accountability

• Acknowledging that you caused harm• Understanding the harm from other

viewpoints• Recognizing that you had a choice• Taking steps to make amends• Taking action to change

Healing

• Addressing what thwarts your good• Honoring the Harm• Coming full Circle or around the spiral• Working towards wholeness• Becoming a better person

Besides attending to the needs of the victims, restorative practices usually generates some level of personal change for all those involved:

• Greater sense of understanding• Compassion• Increase of self-respect• Increase of respect for others

- M.Farley 4/27/10 ppt

Restorative Measures is NOT

• A specific program• Forced upon• Suitable for all settings• Saying “sorry”• New or only in Wisconsin• A replacement for all discipline process

errorlack of skill or ability

malice

Wrongdoing

Intended

Unintended

Consequences

Teaching Peace Ebook

Relationship and Respect – These are values and behaviors we carry into the process.

Responsibility – This R speaks to our ability to listen to another's story and fully tell our own story with complete honesty.

Repair – We agree to repair the harm we caused to the extent possible, even if we didn't intend the harm.

Reintegration – This R requires a willingness to open our heart's door to let another back in once they have demonstrated their integrity by accepting responsibility and repairing the harm to the extent possible.

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame

the lettuce. You look into the reasons it

is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less

sun. You never blame the lettuce. —Thich Nhat Hanh

Mental

Physical

Emotional

Spiritual

PhysicalPain

Mental

Emotional

Spiritual

Hurt

Healing Hurt

compassion

LOVEforgiveness

respectunderstanding

Loyalty

Guiding questions

• Who has been hurt?• What are their needs?• Whose obligations are these?• Who has a stake in this situation?• What is the appropriate process to involve

stakeholders in an effort to put things right?

The Five Magic Questions

• What happened?

• What were you thinking?

• How were you feeling?

• Who else has been affected by this?

• What do you need now so that the harm can be repaired ?

In relationships we are broken and in relationships we are healed.

Judge Ed WilsonRondo to Rwanda

Restorative Measures . . .

The building of social capital and achieving social discipline

through participatory learning and decision making

- M.Farley 4/27/10 ppt

Restorative measures build on the premises:

• From coercion to healing• From solely individual to individual and

collective accountability• From primary dependence on the state to

greater self reliance within the community• From justice as “getting even” to justice as

“getting well”

- M.Farley 4/27/10 ppt

Connectedness

• Equals responsibility• Harming Others, harm yourself• Awareness of this responsibility

creates our value system.

Values

• Goals & ways of behaving despite objects or situation.

• Standards & Principles that guide our actions.

• Should do, rather than want or have to.

Restorative Measures

• Change in language, why to what happened.• Responding to harm vs rule broken.• Empowering community (classroom)

resolution.• Involving students/others in outcomes• Build restorative skill-sets before resolving

conflict• Clear expectations/baseline behaviors

Empathy

Restorative Measures in Schools• Based in Indigenous wisdom and modern restorative

justice philosophy plus:– positive youth development, social emotional learning,

psychology of affect, cognitive psychology• Consists of principles and practices• Focuses on relationships and fair practices• Whole school approach: re-affirm, repair, rebuild

– Peaceable schools/social emotional learning– Affective statements/questions; mediation– Collaborative problem solving/repair of harm

– Pranis, Stuart & Wedge; Thorsborne & Vinegrand; Stutuzman Amstutz & Mullet; Morrison; Hopkins; Schiff & Bazemore; McColl & Wachtell

A Whole School Restorative approach can contribute to:

• Emotional Literacy • Addressing bullying behaviours • Reducing staff turnover and burnout• Raising morale and self-esteem• Culture of inclusion and belonging

A Whole School Restorative approach can contribute to:

• Happier and safer schools• Mutually respectful relationships• More effective teaching and learning • Reducing exclusion• Raising attendance

Good relationships need to be at the heart of everything a school does if effective

teaching and learning are to take place.

4 Key Relationships in School Buildings:• Teacher to Teaching• Teacher to Student• Student to Student• Student to Learning

Formal & Restorative Discipline

Interactions 1:1

Restorative Conference

Restorative Circle

Discipline Referral

Restorative Measures As part of Instead of

“Peacemaking Circles bring together the ancient wisdom of community and contemporary

value of respect for the individual in a process which honors the presence and dignity of

every participant, values their contributions, emphasizes the connectedness of all things, supports emotional and spiritual expression,

and gives equal voice to all.”Kay Pranis 2001

COMMUNITY CIRCLES

BEFOREADDRESSING

CONFLICT

Circle Process

• Method for providing Restorative Justice• Advanced Training strongly recommended

• Four Stage format• Based on values• Effective for elementary youth – college age• Brain-based & SEL based

CareConnectCommit

C-I-R-C-L-E-S

Primary Prevention:School-/Classroom-Wide Systems forAll Students,Staff, & Settings

Secondary Prevention:Specialized GroupSystems for Students with At-Risk Behavior

Tertiary Prevention:Specialized IndividualizedSystems for Students with High-Risk Behavior

80% of Students

15%

5%

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL Intervention & SUPPORT

Some

Few

All

Restorative Practices Triangle Intensive Intervention

Early Intervention

Prevention & Skill Building

Re-Build Relationships

Repair Relationships

Re-Affirm Relationships

Some

Few

All

Restorative Practices Circles

Rebuild – Tier III

Repair – Tier II

Re-affirm – Tier I

Using Circles

• Classrooms• Culture

Community

• Seasonal• Behaviors

Issue • Violation of Rules

• Re-Entry

Incident

Re-affirm Relationships

Repair Relationships

Re-Build Relationships

Types & Examples of Circle

• Community-Connection Building– RJ Class/Culture– Classroom connections

• Centered around a risk/behavior– Boxer shorts as pajama’s

• Centered around an incident/In response to a wrong-doing– Fight, vandalism

Effective School-based Circles

•Circles as climate & culture•Tier I, II & III•Open & Close•Values•Talking Piece•Four Stages

• Getting Acquainted• Building Relationships• Addressing Issues• Taking Action

Tier II• “I smell a Circle!”• Circumstance in the Center• Role Models and those who

struggle• What could we do better• Plan of action for

community

Tier III• Incident of Harm• Prepare harmed & harmer• Strong community

members• What can be done to repair• Plan of action for harmer to

make things right

Effective School-based Circles

“Wide” Topics:• Community Building• Addressing Culture• Planning Circles• Educational Use• Sharing, promoting inclusion

“Narrow” Topics:• Concerning behavior• Incidents of harm• Reintegrating a student• IEP meetings• Problem Solving

Circles WORK when each person has a sense of belonging.

Outcomes• Victims & Offenders – prefer over formal

justice process• Offenders are more compliant• Victims are more satisfied• Reduces Victim PTSD• Saves money• Reduces recidivism• Provides for community input

IIRP comparison

Issue – students report before after

students will make fun of you

70 % 29%

You get picked on 49% 16%

experienced theft 47% 24%

Wrecked property incident 31% 8%

The School to Prison Pipeline (ACLU)

Zero Evidence of Zero Tolerance working.

B. Morrison

ABA & the APA

Chicago Public Schools -Summer ‘07

04/10/2023 63

Outcomes Cass Lake-Bena Elementary

In school suspensions • ’01 61 suspensions a month all year long• ’02 13 suspensions a month (first 3 months)

Last Quarter First Q

97 Noise or swearing 40

54 off task 20

10 inappropriate physical contact

1

Pattengill Middle School, MI

• 15% drop in suspensions (other schools increased)

• Averted 2 expulsions• 93% of students participated• 90% new skills, 86% used those• 1 Elem/3 MS/1 HS saved Lansing students

1,500 days of suspension.

Practitioner Check-list

Understand the PhilosophyKnowledge of the intended outcomesExperience and comfort w/healingUnderstanding of accountability to communityKnowledge of the Circle ProcessExperience in a Restorative Justice CircleSupport and team membersKnowledge of the stages, role of keeper, tips &

techniques of Circle-keeping

Circle-keeping is not a position of power. Circle-keeping is a position of love.

- M.Farley 4/27/10 ppt

5 stage model

1. Own develop the vision2. Steering group3. Training team4. Support the team5. Plan organization & policy review

A School’s Journey

Changechanges people

• As many as possible to ‘walk the talk’• Utilize the circle process• Establish a strong working enviornment

Catherine Cranston

Panel Questions

• Audience Comments• Audience Questions for Kris &

Catherine• Closing Comments• Door Prize Drawings

Than

k Yo

u fo

r lis

teni

ng!