Restorative Justice is a framework for repairing harm, and rooted in Indigenous practices. It is a consented process where people on both sides of harm receive the necessary support and tools to deeply reflect on their lived experiences, needs, and resources necessary for them to work towards healing and accountability. The focus of restorative justice is to interrupt cycles of violence,  create opportunities for reconciliation when possible, and build healthy relationships and communities.

Transformative justice is a political framework for responding to harm without creating more harm. It’s been practiced in big and small ways by multiple marginalized communities who’ve been trying to create safety and reduce harm within the conditions they were forced to live in. It’s also an abolitionist framework that understands systems as sites where enormous amounts of violence take place.

Restorative and transformative justice principles are mutually important in this work to end and transform the conditions for violence and harm to occur. We use RJ to disrupt patterns of violence and create consensual opportunities for repair. We use TJ to transform the conditions that created violence and facilitate community-based responses to harm. At CJ, we see restorative and transformative justice as complimentary frameworks that both work to build responses to harm that center the dignity and resilience of all people.