3 credits
Restorative Justice is a social justice approach towards repairing harm, promoting positive interpersonal relationships, and building community when conflict, misconduct or criminal behavior occurs. Rather than focusing primarily on punishment for the offender, restorative justice seeks to elevate the role of crime victims and community members; hold offenders directly accountable to the people they have violated; and repair harm by providing a range of opportunities for dialogue, negotiation and problem solving. This course provides an introduction and exposure to the principles of restorative justice and examines its history, values and assumptions. Students will learn about the application of restorative justice approaches and implementation guidelines in a variety of settings such as schools and communities and within the criminal justice system, including individuals who are incarcerated in prisons. Students will also be exposed to some of the current programs at the community, state and international levels and identify the challenges and benefits of implementing restorative justice.
A restorative justice course can be a valuable experience for students who are interested in a variety of careers, including social work, counseling, criminal justice, education, policymaking and community development. It can also be a valuable experience for students who are simply interested in learning more about how to create a more just and equitable society. In addition to the following academic objectives, a restorative justice course should also help students to develop empathy, compassion and a commitment to social justice.