What Is Restorative Justice?

Restorative Justice has deep roots in indigenous traditions, serving as a framework for addressing harm involving multiple invested parties. In educational contexts, it often intersects with issues of academic misconduct and promotes proactive community-building. Its ultimate aim is to prevent misconduct and conflict, foster fairness, compassion, and ensure accountability.

The "5 Rs" framework of restorative justice centers around the practice is a collaborative decision-making process involving harmed parties focusing on acknowledging responsibility, repairing harm, and rebuilding trust.

Howard Zehr, a leading authority on restorative justice, defines it as “a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in a specific offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs, and obligations, to heal and put things as right as possible.” Restorative approaches blend accountability and grace in both proactive and responsive manners.