Schools
Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School in Nashville, which uses restorative practices in discipline. Photo by Grace Tatter."To improve school discipline, improve teacher behavior" suggests an article for the Teacher Project, an education reporting initiative at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, about restorative practices in San Francisco schools.
Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS) Nashville, an IIRP licensee, is helping Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools students "Talk it out" rather than get suspended or expelled. (STARS CEO Roger Dinwiddie will be participating in the IIRP's Presidential Symposium: Integrating School Climate Reform Efforts, July 20-21, 2015.)
"The Rock Star Principals" from Downington, Pennsylvania, reflect during their podcast upon how a new study showing that "Suspensions Hurt 'Good Kids', Too" supports their own argument for restorative practices.
The Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work received a $521,000 grant from the Texas Education Agency to conduct training sessions in Restorative Discipline in 10 Education Service Centers, which provide support to school districts and charter schools throughout the state.
Restorative practices are credited for major drops in San Francisco suspensions especially for African American students. Suspension, expulsion numbers also drop in San Diego County. And USA Today explores these issue in the Sacramento area (local tv news broadcast embedded).
"Restorative Practices could someday become as common as school suspensions and expulsions," predicts an opinion piece from Connecticut.
The Philly Student Union says, "Reduce the number of school police and re-train the remaining police in restorative practices."
New statistics show that African-American girls may be even more negatively impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline than boys.
IIRP Instructor Lee Rush presented a keynote address on restorative practices at the Pennsylvania Association of Student Services Professionals conference entitled, "Zero Tolerance for Zero Tolerance: Reducing the School to Prison Pipeline and Creating a Safer School Climate."
Justice
In its Building Bridges program evaluation, Le Chéile's Restorative Justice Project in Limerick, Ireland, which received training from IIRP Europe, reports that 1 Euro invested returns nearly 3 Euros in social value and has proven to be a positive experience for victims, youth offenders and parents.
Jim Liske, CEO of Prison Fellowship International, says the new Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, of which he is a member, offers a "chance for Restorative Justice." An op-ed from the LA Times argues, "There are good reasons, rooted in conservative as well as liberal politics, to focus on reforming criminal justice systems by using restorative justice. "
Jamaica's Justice Minister Senator Mark Golding, pursues national restorative justice legislation.The Jamaican government pursues legislation to formalize restorative justice during its annual Restorative Justice Week.
The World Congress on Juvenile Justice in Geneva calls for strengthening of restorative justice for youth.
In "Healing the Criminal Justice System in Chicago," journalist Robert Koehler speaks of the need to invest in "humanizing people."
The Sycamore Tree initiative, in which inmates come face-to-face with victims of crime, pilots a program at a Bermuda prison.
The Better Government Competition seeks ideas to reform America’s troubled criminal justice system.
UK Theater Company explores restorative justice in a drama about a vehicle homicide case.A UK theater group explores restorative justice in a drama about a teenager who stole a car, killed a young girl, and then met with the girl's parents four years later.
Massachusetts residents have an opportunity to support state senate and house bills to implement restorative practices and justice statewide.
Higher Education
College of William and Mary hosts a workshop on using restorative practices to address racism.
Video
Watch a trailer for Cody High: A Life Remodeled, Walter V. Marshall’s new documentary about how a badly blighted Detroit, MI, neighborhood came together to improve their community, aided by restorative practices and IIRP instructor and former Detroit Police Officer, Monica Evans. The film is an official selection at the Garden State Film Festival in New Jersey, March 19-22.
Brene Brown defines shame, guilt and vulnerability in ways that are helpful for self-development.
Why would a school build restorative practices into its architecture? To become more conscious in its desire to create positive school culture.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, police explain their restorative justice program for youth.
Read past editions of the restorative practices news roundup.
