Restorative Justice (RJ@MSU)
“Restorative Justice is respect. Respect for all, even those who are different from us; even those who seem to be our enemies. Respect reminds us of our interconnectedness, but also of our differences … Respect insists we balance concerns for all parties. If we pursue justice as respect, we will do justice restoratively.” —Howard Zehr, The Little Book of Restorative Justice
What is Restorative Justice (RJ)?
An ancient, commonsense understanding of wrongdoing, which says that wrongdoing is a violation of people and of interpersonal relationships, which creates an obligation for the “offender” to make things right, and repair any harm done. RJ focuses primarily on the needs of harmed parties, as opposed to the rights of those responsible for wrongdoing. As such, RJ actively engages affected parties in determining how an issue is resolved.
Below are two short videos which introduce RJ in different ways. The first video, provide a theoretical and practical overview in the voice of University Administrators. The second video, recounts actual stories of students who have used RJ to resolve conflicts.
More videos available on our Facebook page.
RJ Programs and Services
RJ principles will be employed in all of the conflict resolution services offered by the Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA). Within the student disciplinary process, the 3 primary tenets (note above) will be explored in all cases. In addition, OSSA offers the following programs and services to help members of the community resolve conflict peacefully and effectively.
Peace Circles [new page TBD]
Interested in learning more? Contact us at (517) 884-0789 or email us at rj@msu.edu.
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