Restorative
Justice 101
Conflict Resolution Options
When a conflict arises, your mentor has several options available.
INFORMAL
FORMAL
Spectrum of Resolution processes Informed by Social Justice Theory
Student Conduct Practice Through a Social Justice Lens , Edited by Jennifer Meyer Schrage , Nancy Geist Giacomini
Adjudication Formal Resolution
Adjudication Informal Resolution
Shuttle Diplomacy
Restorative Justice Practices
Mediation
Facilitated Dialogue
Conflict Coaching
Debate Dialogue Discussion
Which option your mentor chooses will depend on the circumstances of the situation.
No one option is going to work for every case, or every resident
No Conflict Management
◦
◦
Recognizing the spectrum of conflict resolution
options available to all, MSU has adopted
Restorative Justice as the foundational philosophy
for conflict resolution and conduct issues on
campus.
Check out how the ROIAL players imagine RJ working in MSU residence halls.
Find the video at:
www.reslife.msu.edu/rj/https://apps.reslife.msu.edu/sites/rj/?page_id=9
Or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjW-i9hI_0c&feature=player_embedded
A Different Approach
Traditional Discipline Asks:
• What rules have been broken?
• Who did it?
• What do they deserve?
Howard Zehr,
From his Keynote Address to the 12th International Institute for
Restorative Practices, October 2009
Restorative Justice Asks:
• Who has been hurt?
• What are their needs?
• Who has the responsibility
to make things right to
restore relationships?
Restorative Justice is central to the way many aboriginal cultures from
Native American to Maori resolve conflict and address misconduct.
Here in the U.S., Restorative Justice began in the criminal justice system
and moved into juvenile justice and school discipline.
In addition to its focus on healing the
harm rather than focusing on
punishment, Restorative Justice is also
different because:
• It engages all those directly affected by conflict or misconduct—victim,
members of the community, supporters—who talk together about what
happened and lay out actions necessary to make things right.
• Accountability is based on the expectation that the person who
caused the harm will complete the steps defined by those affected.
• It is based on respect and a sincere desire to heal the harm as much
as possible.
The Restorative Justice Philosophy offers a
variety of tools anyone can use to resolve
conflict and address misconduct.
Restorative Justice Practices
From the IIRP’s Restorative Practices Handbook Page 12
Informal
Affective
Statements
Affective
Small
Questions Impromptu
Conference
Formal
Restorative Formal
Circle
Conference
Affective questions are at
the informal end of the
continuum.
When You’re in a Conflict Situation try to
resolve it by asking these questions:
• What Happened?
• Who has been affected and how?
• How can we make this right?
Try using Restorative
Justice tools, such as
affective questions and
statements if you’re
experiencing:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interpersonal Conflicts
Room-mate disputes
Staff disagreements
Bias incidents
Vandalism
Assaults
Theft
Other
If you have an issue
you can’t resolve on
your own, Residence
Life staff-members
have been trained in
Restorative Justice
tools from the more
formal end of the
continuum, such as
circles and
conferences.
If you engage in a Restorative Justice Conference or
Circle, keep these points in mind:
1. After the misconduct or conflict happens you will have a conversation with a CLS
Res Life staff-member (probably your mentor and/or building director).
2. If staff offer you an opportunity to participate in a Restorative Justice session
you will probably have a preconference meeting with the facilitator to help
him/her understand the situation and prepare you to participate fully.
3. In the conference or circle, participants will sit in a circle and speak one person
at a time, using a talking piece in circle or answering questions in a conference.
4. Every Restorative Justice session is based on respect and desire to make things
right.
MSU is pioneering the use of Restorative
Justice (RJ) philosophy and practice in
higher education.
The following video offers an explanation
and example of how we’ve used RJ for an
issue in the halls.
Find the video at www.reslife.msu.edu/rj on our home page,
on the R: drive under Restorative Justice/RJ Media/RJ avi or /RJ wmv, or
on-line in Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/nickzmiller/restorativejustice
A Taste of the Restorative
Justice Experience
1. Sit in a circle so that every person can see every other person’s
face.
2. Using a talking piece, explore the questions on the next slide.
3. Ask each question (one at a time) then pass the talking piece to
the person sitting at your right or left.
4. Invite every member of your circle to answer the question when
the talking piece comes to him or her. When participants have
answered the question, they pass the talking piece to the person
on their right.
5. Continue this process until the talking piece has gone all around
the circle. Once everyone has had a chance to answer the
question, repeat the process, asking the next question.
Remember:
1. When a person holds the talking piece
he/she has the right to speak without
interruption. If you are not holding the
talking piece it’s your turn to listen to
what your floor members are saying.
2. Everyone has the right to pass the talking
piece without comment if they choose not
to speak when it comes to them.
Circle Questions:
• In one word, tell us what you think
about restorative justice in general.
• Could you use it in your daily life?
(Yes or No answers only please.)
• What do you take from this RJ
experience?
Please ask all attendees to
answer the following questions
to help us strengthen our RJ efforts.
Please circle the appropriate response below.
1. Would you like to have more floor interactions in a circle format?
2. Have you used restorative practices prior to this program?
If yes, do you believe this approach was effective ?
3. How do you think you can use restorative practices in your life?
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
4. Would you be interested in participating in a RJ focus group?
YES
NO
(Optional) If yes, please include your name and email ________________________________
5. Please share thoughts or comments related to RJ in the space provided below.
RJ Resources - Brochure