Charlotte Restorative Justice Initiative

The Charlotte Restorative Justice Initiative envisions a Charlotte in which all people are safe, valued, and belong.

Our mission is to transform local practices that result in the mass incarceration of people of color by creating alternatives to arrest and incarceration that promote healing and non-punitive responses to harm at the personal, neighborhood and systemic levels. 

CLT RJI was created by members of grassroots groups concerned about the mass incarceration of black and brown people and the corrosive impact of a criminal punishment system concerned only with retribution.   Members from the Reimagining America Project and Myers Park Baptist Church went through a discernment process that led to the creation of this project.  

Restorative justice is a philosophical framework and practice-oriented approach to addressing harm, conflict, and crime. Unlike traditional punitive systems, restorative justice focuses on repairing harm, fostering accountability, and rebuilding relationships among the parties involved. It seeks to create opportunities for dialogue, understanding, and healing, ensuring that all stakeholders—victims, offenders, and the broader community—are actively engaged in the process.

Restorative justice is guided by several core principles that emphasize mutual respect, collaboration, and accountability:

· Harm-Centered Approach: The focus is on identifying the harm caused and addressing its impact on   all parties involved.

· Inclusion: Restorative justice actively involves victims, offenders, and members of the community in the resolution process.

· Accountability: Offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and contribute to repairing the harm caused.

· Reparation: Emphasis is placed on finding tangible and meaningful ways to make amends.

· Transformation: The process aims to transform relationships and systems to prevent future harm.

Restorative justice employs various practices to achieve its goals, each tailored to the specific needs of the situation:

· Victim-Offender Mediation: Facilitated conversations that allow victims and offenders to discuss the harm caused and explore ways to make amends.

· Restorative Circles: A structured process that brings together all affected parties to share perspectives and work collaboratively on solutions.

· Community Conferencing: Broader meetings that include community members to address harm and determine collective ways to prevent it in the future.

· Restorative Dialogue: Informal conversations aimed at fostering understanding and empathy between conflicting parties.

Restorative justice has been shown to offer numerous benefits for individuals and communities:

· Empowerment: Victims have a voice in the process, allowing them to share their experiences and needs.

· Accountability: Offenders gain a deeper understanding of the consequences of their actions and how to make amends.

· Healing: Restorative justice fosters emotional and psychological healing for all parties involved.

· Community Strengthening: It encourages communities to come together, address systemic issues, and strengthen social ties.

· Recidivism Reduction: Studies have shown that restorative justice can decrease the likelihood of reoffending by fostering empathy and responsibility.

 Restorative justice has been successfully applied in a variety of settings:

· Criminal Justice: Used as an alternative to traditional sentencing, especially for juvenile offenders.

· Schools: Employed to address bullying, conflict, and disciplinary issues, fostering a culture of respect and accountability.

· Workplaces: Utilized to resolve interpersonal disputes and improve organizational culture.

· Communities: Applied to heal divisions, particularly in post-conflict or post-colonial societies.

· Family and Relationships: Facilitates dialogue and reconciliation in cases of familial or intimate conflicts.