1st Annual Conference
Breaking the School to Prison Pipeline:
Restorative Justice in Communities and Schools
by the Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston (RJCH)
Houston, Texas
April 12, 2014
What is Restorative
Justice?
Sponsored by the University of Houston College of Education
9am-4pm ● Limit 150 registrants ● Pre-Registration Available
Janet Connors

Keynote Speaker
Over a decade ago, Janet Connors’ son Joel was murdered
during a home invasion by four
men. Since then she has engaged
in dialogue with two of the men - she was the first person
in Massachusetts to engage in a formal victim offender
mediation - and speaks about her experiences on
a regular basis to promote her belief in community justice. In the aftermath of her son’s murder, she participated in restorative justice circles with youth in
the community in order to ensure that no more violence
would take place in Joel’s name. She has spoken at universities, schools, prisons, organizations, and at the Massachusetts State Legislature about how her work has
provided her the means to find some meaning after Joel’s
death. She has apprenticed youth and teachers in the
circle process for community building, conflict resolution, and professional development.


Learn about RJ work in
Houston, Forth Worth,
Austin, and San Antonio
Attend a circle training
Envision using RJ in the
juvenile justice system as
well.
For more information, contact us at (832) 731-5369.
Pre-register at www.restorativehouston.wix.com/rjch
E-mail: restorativehouston@gmail.com
“Restorative justice offers
alternatives to our traditional juvenile and criminal justice systems and harsh
school discipline processes.
Rather than focusing on
punishment, restorative
justice seeks to repair the
harm done. […] This can
take many forms, most notably conferencing models,
victim-offender dialogue,
and circle processes. In applications with youth, it can
prevent both contact with
the juvenile justice system
and school expulsions and
suspensions. Restorative
justice also holds the potential for victims and their
families to have a direct
voice in determining just
outcomes, and reestablishes
the role of the community
in supporting all parties
affected by crime. Several
restorative models have
been shown to reduce recidivism and, when embraced
as a larger-scale solution to
wrongdoing, can minimize
the social and fiscal costs of
crime.”
-Restorative Justice Project