Jennifer Karowe, Nederland.  What is Restorative Justice? Restorative Justice is a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. The goal is to negotiate for a resolution to the satisfaction of all participants by seeking to understand and address the circumstances which contributed to the offense.

Why is it in Nederland schools? In 2016, the Town of Nederland was awarded a grant to contract with TEENS, Inc. to develop these practices in the Peak to Peak Region. TEENS, Inc. allocated one staff member to work at the Nederland Middle/Senior High School (NMSHS) and one to work at Nederland Elementary School (NES).

Because TEENS, Inc. has been implementing restorative justice practices for over 10 years to address youth problem behaviors, they have seen first-hand that a restorative approach is more effective at reducing suspensions and recidivism than the traditional punishment-based approaches often seen in courts and schools.

“This approach allows teens to learn from their experiences, and develop important life skills while being engaged and included in the process,” said Stephen LeFaiver, TEENS, Inc. Executive Director.

“Working restoratively with youth in our schools and criminal justice system will help our areas youth and our community develop greater connections and relationships.”

Andrea Bianchi, TEENS, Inc. Restorative Justice Coordinator at NMSHS has been working with teachers, the Dean of Students, administrators and paras to:

Gauge Interest in and offer support of restorative practices

Engage with staff who are committed to developing lifelong problem solving skills

Facilitate staff development

Work with leadership to look at processes that are restorative and relational

Community practice & implementation include classroom circle time once per week, practicing effective conversations in the classroom, and staff review meetings once per month.

Altheta Abruscato, Restorative Practices Coordinator at NES says, “Restorative practices help shift a mindset of punishing misbehavior toward one of accountability. It’s a proactive approach to relationship building and cultivating empathy.”

Simone Smead, PE teacher at NES has seen restorative practices in action at both NMSHS, where she taught for 3 years and now at the elementary school.

“From my experience using restorative practices to resolve issues, conflicts, and concerns at all ages is something kids ‘get’,” Smead says. “It makes sense to students because they can see how their actions affected someone else, and they also have the power to then make things better. Often a student, upon reflection, feels bad about their actions, but by giving that child the opportunity and tools to ‘make things right’ and repair harm, everyone involved in the issue feels better and a meaningful lesson is learned.”

“Whether I am teaching teenagers or elementary students, a quick RP face-to-face to solve a small problem has a much longer and more powerful effect than just giving that student a punishment.”

“After students have been taught this process, watching them solve small conflicts among themselves is amazing,” says Smead. “That is a gift for all.”

(Originally published in the January 24, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)