Nathalie H. Thompson is a Virginia Supreme Court Certified Mentor Mediator and a member of the Restorative Justice (RJ) leadership team for Northern Virginia Mediation Service (NVMS) working to implement RJ in the Fairfax County, VA school and juvenile justice systems.
Restorative Justice and Practices
With is roots in the practice of Restorative Justice, Restorative practice principles focus on repairing harm to people and relationships rather than on assigning blame,and imposing only negative consequences.
Restorative practice principles include:
- Creating an environment of respect and inclusion
- Personal accountability
- Building community and commitment to relationships
- Collaborative problem solving and decision making
- Empowerment
In Restorative Justice situations (those involving Victims and Offenders and the Criminal Justice System) we ask:
- What harm occurred? To whom?
- What needs to be done to repair the harm?
- How can offenders be held constructively accountable?
- Who is responsible for this repair?
Who can else can benefit from Restorative Practices?
- Schools
- Workplaces
- Families
- Communities
- EVERYONE!
Restorative practices can be very helpful dealing with youth behavior by addressing "thinking errors"
and helping youth develop better decision making skills. Including issues such as: vandalism, noise, bullying,
school attendance, issues with neighbors, shoplifting, etc.
Restorative practices can also be used in the workplace, religious organizations, community and
government to discuss difficult issues by creating a structure that allows everyone involved an equal
voice in the discussion.
Restorative Practices allow for improving relationships by creating a place for the discussion of difficult topics. These practices may be used to:
- Resolve interpersonal issues
- Discuss and resolve team issues
- Increase employee engagement
- Improve workplace decision making and problem solving
- Improve communication between individuals and groups
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