Restorative Justice and Alternative Disciplinary Approaches

"Restorative justice says "No, the offense affected a relationship" and what you are seeking for is to restore the relationship, to heal the relationship." ~ Desmond Tutu

"Our current criminal justice system has no provision for restorative justice, in which an offender confronts the damage they have done and tries to make it right for the people they have harmed. [...] Instead, our system of "corrections" is about arm's-length revenge and retribution, all day and all night." ~ Piper Kerman

"We seek a restorative justice, not a retributive justice." ~ Desmond Tutu

Instead of immediately going to punitive measures like out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, police criminally charging the student and being served a ticket to appear in a youth criminal justice court, attempt a restorative justice approach.

Restorative justice is concerned with accountability, reconciliation, and understanding the root causes of behaviour. Rather than simply punishing a student, you're addressing the causes. You're not simply pushing them out of school, sending them through Youth Justice Courts, fining their family, sentencing them to community service or youth detention jail. You're restorative justice gives them an opportunity to be accountable, make things right, and learn from the experience.

Schools that serve students from marginalized populations, students of colour, students who are food insecure, or students who live in poverty, for example, must use anti-racist, trauma-informed restorative justice alternatives. Such diverse schools recognize the place of generational and personal trauma in behaviour and offer constructive responses to it.

Here are some Restorative Justice Alternative Solutions for Schools without any criminal justice system involvement:

Schools that use Restorative Circles (Healing Circles, Talk Circles), create a space for open dialogue among students, teachers, counsellors, Family School Liaison Workers (FSLWs), administrators, and individuals who have been harmed. The circles allow each person a voice and promote understanding.

Community Conferencing in schools are similar to restorative circles, this practice brings together teachers, administrators, parents, and community members (e.g., cultural or religious leaders) to talk about harm and determine a resolution.

Victim-Offender Mediation is another effective solution, as the student who caused the harm sits down with the person harmed in the presence of a trained facilitator, counsellor, and administrator to discover the impact of their actions and make restitution.

School-wide Trauma-Informed Practices is very powerful in a culturally diverse school, especially marginalized children because so much behaviour is trauma-induced, schools employ compassionate, non-punitive response mechanisms in collaboration with the school, school board consultants, and community agencies that are not part of a Criminal Justice System.

School Mentorship Programs, pair students with adult mentors, i.e., counsellors, FSLWs, administrators, or teachers, who provide guidance, support, and accountability to build self-discipline and better decision-making skills.

Student Reflection and Apology Letters guided by their Teacher Advisor and school administration is a substitute for automatic suspension, students write letters reflecting on their actions and apologizing under the supervision of a trained adult mentor.

Conflict Resolution Training for certain students with formal training in de-escalating conflicts and resolving disagreements through communication rather than violence.

Diverse marginalized schools are very successful in Community Service as a Consequence. Students conduct community service, under the supervision of school officials, that corresponds to their infraction, reinstating responsibility and positive contribution to their school or local community.

Teacher-Student or Teacher-Advisee Relationship Building Programs are outstanding to assist teachers in building solid advocacy, trusting relationships with students to reduce discipline issues through mutual respect.

Family Group Conferencing is another important strategy to bring students, their families, teachers, and administrators together to develop a plan that benefits the student and restores harm caused.

Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) with a Teacher-Advicee or counsellors or school administration is a powerful strategy for students who have behaviour problems check in with a caring adult at the beginning and end of the school day to set goals and report on their progress.

Culturally diverse school absolutely require Flexible Discipline Policies. Instead of applying rigid punishments, schools use case-by-case restorative justice alternatives depending on intent, context, and individual student needs.

Culturally Responsive Restorative Practices is a must for diverse marginalized schools. Honour diverse conflict-resolution methods by using culturally responsive strategies. Schools engage cultural or religious leaders, the student, and his/her family to create appropriate resolutions.

School-Wide Restorative Culture creates a culture of understanding, empathy, and compassion for restorative practices into daily school life, from classroom circles to school-wide policy, so that conflict resolution and accountability are rooted in anti-racism and trauma-informed principles.

Most importantly, none of these restorative justice alternatives involve the youth criminal justice system. By disconnecting school discipline from law enforcement, you are communicating to marginalized students and their families that the school is not an extension of the criminal justice system but rather a place for learning, growth, and care.