Restorative processes
Restorative justice is an approach to harm that can make room for voice, accountability, repair, and a meaningful next step. What becomes possible depends on the people involved, safety, readiness, and the choices each person makes.
01
Understand
Understand voice, accountability, repair, and what participation does — and does not — require.
Understand the approach
02
Consider
Use a few questions to think about harm, safety, responsibility, and whether another step should come first.
Consider the questions
03
Connect
CJC can explain what a restorative process may involve without committing anyone to participate.
See how to connect
Understand
Restorative justice focuses on harm, responsibility, voice, and repair. It is not the same thing as punishment, mediation, forgiveness, or agreement.
What restorative justice is
The work begins with what happened, who was affected, what people need, where responsibility belongs, and what repair or another next step might require. Not every process brings everyone face-to-face.
What it may include
What it is not
Three ideas run through the work
People affected by harm may need space to describe impact, name what they need, ask questions, or say what matters.
Accountability can mean understanding impact, taking responsibility, changing behavior, and considering meaningful next steps.
Repair depends on the people and situation. It may involve an agreement, changed behavior, restitution, another action — or no shared process at all.
In practice
The process is shaped around the people, the harm, readiness, and what participation can responsibly look like in that situation.
Prepared restorative conversations about harm, impact, accountability, and possible next steps.
Structured space for voice, listening, connection, and reflection where a circle is appropriate.
Individual conversations before any shared process so people understand choices, expectations, and boundaries.
Processes that can clarify responsibility and explore what meaningful repair or another next step could require.
Who may be involved
Consider
These are questions to sit with, not a screening test. Nothing here is collected, scored, or sent to CJC.
01
Has harm affected a person, relationship, family, school, or community?
02
Is there something someone needs to say, understand, ask, or have acknowledged?
03
Is accountability or responsibility part of what needs attention?
04
Is there something meaningful that repair might require?
05
Does safety, readiness, or more information need to come first?
06
Would a carefully prepared process be useful to explore?
Before any shared process
CJC considers what each person needs and whether restorative work fits the situation at all. Participation is informed and voluntary. If direct contact is unsafe, coercion is present, or participation cannot be voluntary, another step may need to come first.
Cost & access
CJC does not list a participant price for restorative processes on this pathway. For the Community Justice Access Fund, CJC uses $500 as the stated value of a sponsored restorative process.
That is a sponsorship value — not a participant fee. It helps represent the preparation, coordination, facilitation, and follow-through that someone helps cover so restorative work can remain reachable.
Learn about the Community Justice Access FundConnect
Contacting CJC begins a conversation. It does not commit you — or anyone else — to a restorative process. You can first understand what preparation, participation, and possible next steps would look like.
Nothing on this page is sent to CJC. CJC is not an emergency, crisis, or legal service.
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