Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice is an approach to criminal offending that emphasizes values of democratic participation, inclusion, and stewardship. This approach has been effectively extended to the college arena, where misconduct is not always illegal, but often a violation of campus honor codes and policies. Restorative processes help educate students about the need for civic commitment and build awareness of the impact their behavior has on the community.
Why Restorative Justice?
- It involves the community and the victims, not just conduct officers and offenders.
- It measures success by how much harm is repaired or prevented, not how much punishment is inflicted.
- To view our Restorative Justice Brochure click here
Restorative Justice Process
- Harm is caused
- Offender meets with a Conduct Officer
- Office of Student Conduct deems the case suitable for Restorative Justice
- Conduct Officer introduces process to offender
- Conduct Officer introduces process to victim and determines if victim wants to participate
- Restorative Justice Conference held
- Agreement is reached
- Harm is repaired, trust in offender is reestablished and community is rebuilt
STARR Project
Our campus is participating in a national research study of conduct processes. At the end of the Restorative Justice Conference, participants are invited to participate and then asked to complete a brief survey. The goal of this study is to evaluate student learning and change as a result of participation in a student conduct process. It is a chance for participants to share their opinion of how the conduct process went.
Campuses around the country are using different conduct practices, such as administrative hearings, student conduct board hearings, and restorative justice practices, and the study is looking at which process is most effective and the best learning experience for students. For more information, visit the STARR Project website.
