Restorative Justice In Schools: An Upstream Approach For Addressing Inequities In The Risk Of Incarceration

This report discusses school restorative justice practices as a potential protective factor and an alternative to exclusionary discipline policies in K-12 school settings. Rather than assigning blame and punishment, restorative justice focuses on non-punitive, relationship-centered approaches to addressing behavioral issues while youth continue to participate in school activities.11,14,15 School-based restorative justice has been shown to be a promising practice for preventing youth incarceration (i.e., school-to-prison pipeline) and reducing racial inequities, thereby protecting youth from current and future negative outcomes (or negative health and social outcomes across the life course) associated with adverse childhood experiences.

Topic:

Keyword Tags: