Virtual Panel Discussion – Exploring Restorative Justice in NJ: Toward a Healing Approach to Crime and Public Safety

Learn more about Restorative Justice in New Jersey, what´s happening now and its outlook for the future. Panelists include:
• NJ State Senator Troy Singleton, a primary sponsor of recently passed legislation to establish Restorative Justice Pilot Programs in NJ public schools.
• Retha Onitiri, Community Engagement Director at the NJ Institute for Social Justice, where they are working on a proposal to use restorative justice throughout the state
• Rev. Brenda Ehlers, from Morrow Memorial Church in Maplewood, NJ, where they work with the municipality to divert first-time youth offenders to their restorative justice program.

Restorative Justice is a process to deal with a crime, infraction, or injustice that seeks to heal or repair the harm that was done to the victim and to the community, rather than simply punishing and locking away the person who committed the harm (or suspending them, in the case of schools.) In this process the offender is held accountable to repair the harm they caused and to work on themselves to become a person that doesn´t commit that kind of harm again. Restorative justice shifts our perspective from control and punishment to growth and healing.

For more information, please contact Tricia Idrobo at pfressidrobo@hotmail.com