Using a needs-based dialogue process the participants are invited to recover the ability to understand each other, to learn from what happened, and to make a specific plan for the future, designed to bring benefit to all and change in the social conditions in which the conflict arose. More than a methodology, Restorative Circles are the centerpiece of a systemic response to community safety which bring nonviolence into public life in a tangible, constructive form.
In Rochester, restorative initiatives have begun to be adopted in schools, courts, and communities. At the collegiate level, the University of Rochester’s Center for Student Conflict Management works with administrators to make alternative dispute resolutions like restorative circles part of the campus culture and the approach has been used in a variety of situations, from disagreements among roommates to disputes between teammates on an athletic team. Members of the University’s security staff also underwent training in restorative practices this past February. In the Rochester City School District, both Monroe and Wilson Magnet high schools are among a number of buildings to employ restorative processes to resolve issues. In the courts, Partners in Restorative Initiatives works with the Monroe County district attorney’s office to identify appropriate uses of restorative justice processes in city and town court cases.
Restorative-System
