Restorative Justice

Restorative Practices Trainings

We partner with schools, nonprofit organizations, and corporations to offer training components including:

• Orientation
• Community Environment Assessment
• Restorative Language Integration
• Community Building Circles
• Restorative Conferencing
• Facilitation Skill-building and Coaching
• Implementation Coordination
• Program Evaluation

We tailor each training to meet the needs of the community.

For more information, please contact:
Schoene Mahmood
Schoene.Mahmood@lmu.edu
(310) 338-4442

RP Resources

School-Based Restorative Justice Laws: A State by State Analysis and Georgetown Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality

Exclusionary School Discipline Legislative Trends Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality

Books

• Colorizing Restorative Justice Edited by Edward C. Valandra, Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšílang
• The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: by Fania Davis
• The Little Book of Racial Healing: by Jodie Geddes and Thomas DeWolf
• Circle Forward: Building a Restorative School Community by Carolyn Boyes-Watson , Kay Pranis
• Creating Restorative Schools: Setting Schools Up to Succeed by Martha A. Brown, Ph.D.
• Indigenous Community Rekindling the Teachings of the Seventh Fire by Gregory A. Cajete, Ph.D.
• Returning To the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice by Rupert Ross

Coronavirus Educator Resources

• https://www.edutopia.org/article/curbing-teacher-burnout-during-pandemic - Curbing Teacher Burnout during a Pandemic
• A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus - Experts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network share their recommendations for educators supporting students during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Self-care for Educators & Caregivers During a Pandemic - 12 tips to help you take care of yourself in the coming weeks and months.
• District Responses to Coronavirus: Examples to Follow - Advocate for students and families during this crisis by using this resource to evaluate your district’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and offer recommendations for changes.
• Grading K-12 students during a pandemic: An EdSource Quick Guide

Community Building Circles

• 60 second strategy for Community Circles (video) by Edutopia
• How Restorative Practices Works for Students and Teachers by NEA
• Developing Community Through Classroom Circles by United Federation of Teachers UFT
• Building Community Restorative Circle by Edutopia
• The Power of the Circle by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  When schools use restorative practices to build relationships and community, students' attitudes change for the better.
• The Power of Community Circles by Assoc. for Middle Level Education AMLE by Assoc. for Middle Level Education AMLE
• Using Circle to Build Community by Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility

 Websites

• Restorative Justice on the Rise
• National Association of Community and Restorative Justice
• Catholic Mobilizing Network - fighting the death penalty, promoting restorative justice

News Articles

• Texas Bias Case Study
• American Magazine - Can Restorative Justice Help the Church Heal from Sex Abuse Scandals
• Edutopia - How Restorative Justice Helps Students Learn
• Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice - Little Book Series
• The New York Times - How Resilient Are You?
• The New York Times - What is Your Response to the Incident at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18?

Social Emotional Learning Resources

• CASEL - What is Social Emotional Learning?
• The New York Times - Empathy and Resilience, Responsibility and Self Care: Resources for Social and Emotional Learning
  • 100+ resources for educators, students, and communities; topics include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making
• CASEL - Social Emotional Learning Integration with Academics
• Little Free Library - Action Book Club
• The New York Times - Teaching Social Skills to Improve Grades and Lives
• The New York Times - Letting Happiness Flourish in the Classroom
• The New York Times - To Help Students Learn, Engage the Emotions
• The New York Times - Playing Nicely with Others: Why Schools Teach Social Emotional Learning
• The New York Times - Testing for Joy and Grit? Schools Nationwide Push to Measure Students' Emotional Skills
• Edutopia - Social and Emotional Learning Resources
• Go Zen - 8 Ways a Child's Anxiety Shows Up as Something Else

Trauma Resources

• Responding to Attacks in El Paso
• Teachers' Trauma Toolkit by First Book
• First Book Resources for Teachers

Self Care Resources

• Finding Resolve After the New Zealand Mosque Shootings
• Stress: the Unseen Killer

Empathy Development

• Empathy Development Indigenous Culture Resources

Our Partners represent some of the most progressive organizations in the judicial, educational, governmental, and private sectors. These collaborations help lead the way in providing RJ resources in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Foundation Partners

• Anonymous
• Collins Foundation

Academic Partners

• Restorative Justice Network of Catholic Campuses (RJNCC)
• Professor Thalia González, Occidental College and Georgetown University Law School
• University of Southern California Chan Division of Occupational Therapy
• San Diego Center for Restorative Justice

Community Partners

• Catholic Schools Collaborative
• Kerri Berkowitz, Restorative Justice Practices Trainer and Implementation Specialist
• Partnership for Los Angeles Schools
• Public Counsel

LMU Partners

• LMU Division of Student Affairs
• LMU Office of intercultural Affairs
• LMU Office of Student Conduct and Community Responsibility (OSCCR)
• LMU Psychology Applied Research Center (PARC)
• LMU School of Education
• The Learning Community (TLC)

School Partners

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools

• Alice M. Baxter High School
• Middle School #12

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Schools

• Assumption Catholic School
• Dolores Mission School
• Immaculate Conception Catholic School
• Santa Isabel Catholic School
• St. Aloysius Catholic School
• St. Bernard’s High School
• St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School
• St. Ignatius Catholic School
• St. Joseph’s Catholic School
• St. Lawrence of Brindisi
• St. Louis of France Catholic School
• St. Michael Catholic School
• St. Paul Catholic School
• Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School
• St. Raphael Catholic School

Aspire Public Schools

• Centennial Academy
• Inskeep Academy
• Pacific Academy
• Slauson Academy
• Tate Academy

Centinela Valley Union High School District

• Lawndale High School
• Lloyde High School

Culver City Unified School District Representatives

Long Beach Unified School District

• Intellectual Virtues Academy

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

• Academic Leadership Community
• Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School
• Westchester Enriched Sciences and Magnets

New York City Charter School Center

Riverside Unified School District (RUSD)

• Arlington High School
• Castle View Elementary
• Chemawa Middle School
• Educational Options High School
• Emerson Elementary School
• Franklin Elementary School
• Gage Middle School
• Hawthorne Elementary School
• Highgrove Elementary School
• Jefferson Elementary School
• John North High School
• Lake Matthews Elementary School
• Lincoln High School
• Longfellow Elementary School
• Martin Luther King High School
• Mountain View Elementary School
• North High School
• Patricia Beatty Elementary School
• Ramona High School
• Rivera Elementary School
• Riverside Polytechnic High School
• University Middle School
• Washington Elementary School
• William Howard Taft Elementary School
• Woodcrest Elementary School
• RUSD Hearts Program

Santa Monica and Malibu School District Representatives

Santa Monica Unified School District

• Will Rogers Learning Community

These case studies illustrate how Community Building Circles and Community Conference work. Names have been changed for privacy.

Stolen Phone

Josh misplaced his phone. His teacher assured Josh that she would ask her students to help look for the phone. At the beginning of the school year she implemented Community Building Circles and got to know these students pretty well. Having built strong bonds she said, "I just want to talk with you because a student's phone has gone missing. So if any of you know where it is or who took it – the right thing to do would be to give the phone back."

Right after class, Shawn, Taylor, and Mike approached the teacher and asked, "What does it say about a person's character if a person stole something and then brought it back?" The teacher responded, "That would say a lot about the person's character. And it wouldn't say much about their character if they didn't return it." The teacher could see the boys were really thinking about what she said. The boys answered, "Oh, we found this phone."

Foreign Language Made Fun

A foreign language teacher, reports: "I found out that one of my students who is failing my class is an avid reader. During one of our Community Building Circles, I asked everyone to name their favorite storybook from childhood. You can imagine their surprise when I brought those books written in Italian to them. They see that I'm paying attention to what interests them, so during class they pay more attention to me. In my opinion, this process makes a big difference in the class; the key is to continue doing it on a regular basis."

Instagram

A math instructor who teaches class right after lunch notices that students have difficulty concentrating. Most of the students in this class are repeating the course and there are at least eight young people who have problems controlling their behavior. When the teacher first introduced Community Building Circles, there were sidebar conversations, despite the use of a "talking piece" that serves as a reminder that only one person may speak at a time. After conducting the circles a few times, the young people have started to settle down and seem to take a real interest in the process by asking their own sets of questions.

One time, a student brought up the social media application called Instagram because someone had posted a page of photos of girls and implied they were promiscuous. A student asked, "Why is it that girls get called horrible names and boys don't? The boys are doing the same things the girls are doing but they aren't being called names." Many of the students passed the talking piece without speaking and then one student who hadn't spoken before added, "I think it's really terrible, because one of my friends is on that page and she doesn't deserve to be." Another male student talked about how not all boys call the girls those names and noted that girls are responsible for the name-calling too. Right before the bell rang to dismiss the class, another student yelled out, "We need to stop calling each other names!"

Restorative Practices Testimonials

The process showed the teacher a different side of the student and it showed the humanity of the teacher. A lot of our kids don't realize that teachers are humans, too. Everything is going well with this student and teacher now. They established and built a foundation for a relationship. Both the student and the teacher were both adamant about not being removed from the classroom. She sees a different side of him and sees him as a whole child - not just the side that was causing the friction in the classroom. - Kendra Peterson, Asst. Principal at Lawndale

Thanks for being here this morning. As you know, things went great. I want to thank you for helping facilitate this problem and breaking through with [student]. Him opening up and identifying his needs help is a HUGE step. I have referred him to Richstone. Thanks for all you do. -Ben Wardrop, Asst. Principal at Lawndale

I wish they had had this [Restorative Practices] when I was in high school. This is a much better way of handling things. - Parent of a student at Lawndale

I don't care if the teacher has a Master's Degree, I just want the teacher to connect with my child. - Parent of a student at Lawndale

During the Community Building Circle, the process opened up the students to better interact with each other so they can talk in front of the entire class without having to stand up. In the circle, students sit next to people who they are comfortable with and can talk with people who they aren't so comfortable with. They're able to share feelings and ask questions about things that they weren't normally used to talking about with each other. It also builds empathy and hearing each other in a way that allows them to understand, "Oh, he felt good or bad about that situation, too." - Teacher at Lloyde High School

[The RJ Project's] wisdom, support, and guidance will allow our staff to continue to increase safety and a sense of belonging among students participating in our Afterschool programs. Thank you. - Riverside Unified School District After School Program

The implementation of Restorative Practices is a great step forward for the LMU Division of Student Affairs. These practices are well situated in the context of education of the whole person as they are a tool to further our work around dialogue across difference and controversy with civility. - Elena M. Bove, Ed.D., Senior Vice President for Student Affairs

It was well structured and took all opinions into account - LMU Student

Good to have direct communication between parties, creates better understanding - LMU Staff

Additional Comments from Teachers about implementing Restorative Practices

• Fewer classroom arguments
• Students begin to respond to minimal instruction
• Able to "buy-back" instruction time
• Improves interpersonal skills
• Better relationships