restorative justice

Punishment culture encourages the view that an individual deserves harm — that the individual person is a “bad” person. Punishment marks someone as not worthy of belonging.

Data suggests that prison is not an effective deterrent.

Two formerly incarcerated women share their stories.

Restorative approaches allow justice to be “done with you” and not “done to you.”

“My past should not predict my future. This is just a different way of labeling.”

Minneapolis received a lot of attention in 2020 for public safety. Some believe stronger law enforcement is needed to combat

In my fear, I was convinced that if I could amass a group of Black women, the sight of us would bring this dangerously behaving man to his senses.

Trauma-to-Prison Pipeline, Restorative Justice for Vets, Bias in Protests and Sentencing, Reparations, other resources

I noticed an increase in discussion about whether restorative justice could be an appropriate response to gender-based violence, including sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

1987: “A lot of it is chemical dependency problems and economic problems. It’s unfortunate that we don’t intervene in a meaningful way [first].”

“Restorative justice,” the social worker said, “allows those who commit crimes to meet with the victims to talk about what happened and how to repair the harm.”

“A Nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.” — Cheyenne proverb  Shakopee Women’s Prison