Restorative Justice in US Schools

• In Event: Public Schools, Restorative Justice, and Delinquency

Abstract

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded WestEd to conduct an 18-month study of restorative justice (RJ) practices being used in schools across the nation. There are many approaches to RJ in schools – from whole-school integrated models that address overall school culture to more limited approaches meant to handle point-in-time infractions.

RJ is a non-punitive alternative to address the harm caused by misbehavior. It was recently recommended by Department of Justice and Education as an approach that addresses racial and ethnic disparities often associated with ‘zero tolerance’ discipline; formal police sanctions for minor disciplinary infractions that often perpetuate the school to prison pipeline; and the negative social consequences associated with out of school time due to suspensions and expulsions. However, several questions remain.

WestEd is exploring what actually happens in schools where RJ practices are employed, what success looks like, and what challenges schools face in implementing and sustaining a restorative approach to hold misbehaving students accountable. A comprehensive literature review of RJ in schools will identify conceptual models, document issues and empirical research, and identify persons and schools for in-depth interviews. Data from approximately 100 interviews of RJ experts and school/district personnel will be synthesized to inform this paper.

Authors

• Nancy Hurley, WestEd

• Anthony Petrosino, WestEd

• Sarah Guckenburg, WestEd

• Trevor A. Fronius, WestEd