We discuss the restorative justice approach in schools. You might have heard the term, restorative justice or restorative practice. The short version is that it's essentially the opposite of zero tolerance -- it's an approach rooted in personal responsibility, bringing people face to face, with the goal of improving behavior without suspensions or expulsions, when possible. But there haven't been many studies to suggest whether restorative practices work. There is a great deal of evidence in the form of suspension rates, anecdotes, and graduation rates -- but a year ago, we saw a formal study that analyzed the impact. What the study found was that both students and adults reported all kinds of benefits: benefits they don't see in a zero-tolerance system.
The Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence is hosting the "Restoring Rochester" conference on Saturday. It aims to bring restorative practices and ideas to the entire community. Our guests discuss the practices and the conference:
- Kit Miller, director of the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
- Ruth Turner, executive director of student support services for the Rochester City School District
