Back to Engaged and Empowered Learning

ICSD Restorative Justice

ICSD restorative justice vision

Vision and Mission

Our vision for Restorative Justice is to foster a profound sense of belonging within our community by cultivating a solid foundation built on empathy, understanding, and mutual respect. We strive to create inclusive (BRAVE) spaces where individuals can come together to build community, learn, and grow, which creates an environment where all voices are valued and supported in their journey towards healing and wholeness.

Our commitment is to nurture a culture of love and accountability where we encourage patience, honesty, forgiveness, and trust. By equipping individuals with the necessary tools, guided by the pedagogical stances of history, language, justice, race, and futures, we aspire to proactively prevent harm. When harm, caused by conflict and injustice, does occur, we will foster reconciliation and empowerment for all involved.

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice (RJ) is a belief system as much as it is a set of practices to support communities in growing and learning from difficult situations.

Howard Zehr, author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice, asserts, “The goal of restorative justice is to provide an experience of healing for all concerned. And ideally, restorative justice is about prevention of harm as well as justice after harm has occurred.” Zehr identifies three pillars of restorative justice: harms and needs; obligations; and engagement.

Restorative Justice is:

  • A paradigm shift (from punishment to repairing harm)

  • An opportunity/invitation 

  • A tool for cultivating belonging and purpose (building community)

  • Accountability (acknowledge institutionalized racism in your school community)

Restorative Justice is NOT:

  • An alternative to punishment 

  • A program 

  • Letting people off easy

Restorative Practices

The following practices aim to foster accountability, healing, and community building:

  • Restorative Circles: Group discussions that focus on building relationships and addressing harm (more below).

  • Conferencing: Facilitated meetings between affected parties to discuss the impact of an incident and find a resolution.

  • Victim-Offender Dialogue: Direct communication between victims and offenders, allowing for understanding and healing.

  • Community Service: Offenders engage in community service as a way to repair harm done.

  • Apology and Forgiveness: Encouraging offenders to take responsibility and victims to express their feelings. This can be done in dialogue, an email, or a handwritten letter.

  • Restorative Justice Panels: Community members review cases and suggest outcomes based on restorative principles.

  • Peer Mediation: Trained student RJ leaders or peers help resolve conflicts in a constructive manner.

  • Reflective Practices: Encouraging individuals to reflect on their actions and the impact on others.

  • Circle Processes: Using a talking piece to ensure everyone has a chance to speak and be heard.

  • Restorative Agreements: Written agreements that outline actions to repair harm and restore relationships. Community Values or Norms. Creating a school Charter (RULER).

Restorative Circles

A circle process can be used as a tool to teach social skills such as listening, respect, and problem-solving. Circles provide participants an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in a safe atmosphere and are best utilized early in the establishment of a learning community. Getting to truly know and care for one another before many challenges arise can allow members of any community to solve problems in circles when difficult situations present themselves. This process recognizes that students can utilize conflict resolution practices and social skills to resolve conflict with help from a facilitator. (ICSD Code of Conduct)

Restorative Circles

Tier 1: Build and Strengthen Relationships
Community Building
Learning Circles
Issue Circles
Celebration Circles

Tier 2: Repair Relationships
Community and Family 
Circles of Harm

Tier 3: Reentry
Reentry Circles
Healing Circles

RJ Team Members

Staff Leaders

District Facilitators

Student Leaders and Ambassadors

Niccolo Barseghyan

Niccolo Barseghyan

Niccolo has proven himself to be a thoughtful and bold contributor to the restorative justice work in our district. As a member of the original team of students that have brought this work to school buildings throughout the district, he has consistently shown a willingness to have difficult conversations while centering the needs of his fellow students. A particular strength of Niccolo's is his ability to recognize and honor perspectives other than his own. This is a trait that is not usually mastered at a young age and it makes Niccolo’s words incredibly impactful because people that are in discussion with him always feel that their perspective is validated. 

Esther Castillo

Esther Castillo

Esther is a leader in the restorative justice work in our district. Notice the way that her peers look to her for leadership. Her voice carries so much weight. She is thoughtful and introspective and has a keen sense of the ways in which history and language matter. Esther’s future is incredibly bright, and we fully expect her to be leading some university or congressional district in the near future. 

Gracelynn Lomax

Gracelynn Lomax

Gracie is an integral member of the original team of students that are bringing restorative justice to our district. She has that special gift of stepping back and lifting other peoples’ voices, and then stepping up and using her own voice at just the right time. When she speaks, others listen. Gracie has done everything that has been asked of her and more. She has made herself vulnerable by speaking her truth to adults. Her commitment to this work has emboldened her peers and propelled her team forward. 

RJ student ambassadors

Coming soon to a school near you!

Student Ambassadors
Haylie Abreu-Tavarez (9)
Benjamin Peralta (9)
Kaylie Abreu-Tavarez (9)

Student Ambassadors in Training (not pictured)
Selena Clemons (11)
Graciela Gutierrez (11)
Kiya Lewis (10)

Implementing RJ Across the District

Resources

Helping students imagine themselves as important community contributors within (and far beyond) classroom walls is the responsibility of every adult in the system. - Dr. Maisha Winn

Dr. Maisha Winn