Favorites ()
Apply
Restorative justice hands graphic

Initiative on Restorative Justice and Healing

About Restorative Justice

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice is a worldwide movement that seeks to respond to harm in a way that fosters accountability and healing. These practices are used successfully in a variety of settings and professions, including education and law.

Restorative justice invites practitioners to enter the wound of another by accompanying them as they tell their stories. And it finds an able and potent partner when grounded in and informed by the Catholic intellectual tradition.

What is restorative justice?

  • A focus on the harm
  • The obligations of the offender
  • The engagement of all

    • A focus on the harm

    Restorative justice is a philosophical and practical approach to harm which seeks to bring together victim-survivors, the broader community and, in some cases, perpetrators to promote accountability and healing.

    The obligations of the offender

    Harm has obligations. Restorative justice aims to name those harms and address them, for those who have been harmed directly and indirectly.

    The engagement of all

    Putting things right. Repairing the harm and when possible, restoring individuals and relationships and establishing a path toward healing.

    A focus on the harm

    Restorative justice is a philosophical and practical approach to harm which seeks to bring together victim-survivors, the broader community and, in some cases, perpetrators to promote accountability and healing.

    The obligations of the offender

    Harm has obligations. Restorative justice aims to name those harms and address them, for those who have been harmed directly and indirectly.

    The engagement of all

    Putting things right. Repairing the harm and when possible, restoring individuals and relationships and establishing a path toward healing.

    Further Reading

    Explore the subject areas below to learn more about restorative justice work and how it is being used in the community.

    • From Condemnation to Conversion: Seeking restorative justice in the prison system
    Yohuru Williams video

    Past IRJH Events

    Exploring the Intersection of Racial Justice & Restorative Justice

    Dr. Yohuru Williams, founder of St. Thomas' Racial Justice Initiative, describes the critical role of understanding the history of racial discrimination in the United States before addressing racial justice issues.

    Watch More Videos

    Put aside most people’s traditional notions of punishment, which is generally about retribution … How do we do something for the victim-survivor, for the wrongdoer, for the community – which are all impacted by so many criminal actions?

    Hank Shea, IRJH Fellow