Shifting Paradigms: Transformation Through Restorative Justice Education

• In Event: Impact of Restorative Justice in Institutional Settings

Abstract

Restorative processes are increasingly being considered as a response to harm and conflict in schools, workplaces, and every day life (Johnstone & Van Ness, 2007). However, for restorative justice to be realized beyond an ornament hanging from the legal justice system (Walgrave, 2008) or a “one off” disciplinary opportunity in schools (Morrison, 2007, 119), personal, political, and institutional paradigm shifts are needed. Criminal justice actors and citizens must challenge the state’s domination over justice matters and be open to reclaiming some responsibility to create safe communities. University students, particularly those studying criminology, can either contribute to maintaining the status quo or be part of a paradigm shift that moves “beyond alternative punishments and even beyond alternatives to punishment” (Zehr, 2015, 20).
Simon Fraser University (SFU) has the largest criminology department in Canada. The department is also home to the longest running undergraduate, restorative justice course (RJC) in the country. Since the course was first offered in 1999, over two thousand students have completed it. This research examines the transformative impact of this approach to undergraduate restorative justice education. The unique pedagogy of the course and how student's perspective, relationships and behaviour shifted will be examined in this paper.

Author

• Alana Abramson, Kwantlen Polytechnic University