Vera Institute of Justice

Hosted by the Reshaping Prosecution Collaborative Justice Network in partnership with the Center for Racial and Economic Justice (CREJ) at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, the American Bar Association ADR and Restorative Justice Committee (ABA), and the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ).

This symposium offers an expansive survey of the touchpoints and tensions of restorative justice (RJ) and the criminal legal system as well as how restorative justice is practiced and implemented in jurisdictions across the nation. Participants will hear from thought leaders in the field, gain access to resources to inform policy decisions and advance restorative practices, and understand the growing restorative justice movement alongside the criminal legal landscape.

Day 1: January 25, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm CT / 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PT

Day 1 on January 25 will include three panel discussions open to the public. Panels will be recorded. There is no cost to attend.

Register here for all Day 1 events.

• Panel 1: Restorative Justice: The Movement, The Legal System, The Future.
  Panelists will discuss the restorative justice movement landscape, tensions and trade-offs of implementing restorative justice as diversion with/in a criminal legal system context, connecting restorative justice to victim-centered advocacy and public safety while diminishing reliance on punitive responses, and ensuring race equity in communities where restorative justice is available.
  11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 9:00 a.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. PT, 90 minutes
  
• Panel 2: Why Choose RJ?
  An exploration of restorative justice through the perspectives of people with lived experiences of either participating in a restorative process (as a survivor or person who has caused harm), holding restorative processes (as a restorative justice practitioner), or choosing restorative justice in their capacity as a system actor (prosecutor, defense attorney, or judge). This panel will be held in a circle process so that viewers can experience a conversation in this form.
  1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT, 100 minutes
• Panel 3: Brass Tacks: Implementing Restorative Justice as Diversion Policy
  Panelists with experience implementing restorative justice diversion policies in district attorneys’ offices and as restorative justice community-based organization partners will discuss what and who is involved in designing and implementing these restorative declination and diversion policies. The conversation will explore which stakeholders are at the table, strategies leading to successful piloting, challenges and lessons learned, and continued efforts to increase viability and data-informed sustainability.
  3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT, 90 minutes

Day 2: January 26, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 pm CT / 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT

Day 2 on January 26 will include immersive workshops geared primarily toward criminal legal system stakeholders to help deepen their understanding of restorative justice and implementing restorative justice as a declination or diversion policy.

These workshops will not be recorded and will each require pre-registration. Registration for each workshop is found alongside the description for each event. There is no cost to attend. Register today!

• Implementing Restorative Justice as Diversion
  Register here.
  Come find your people! Meet with counterparts and experts (including RJ practitioners, district attorney office staff, and community stakeholders) who are implementing restorative justice programs across the country to exchange strategies and learn from each other. Participants will discuss common themes including getting started, nurturing stakeholder buy-in, equitable program design, navigating roadblocks, collecting data and securing resources, and efforts toward statewide policy implementation. The workshop will be in topic-specific breakout rooms. This is the first workshop in a series throughout 2024. Register here.
  11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 9:00 a.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. PT, 2 hours
  
• Restorative Victim Advocacy
  Register here.
  Centering survivors and the power of restorative justice. A held space for survivors, restorative justice practitioners, victim advocates and special victim unit attorneys in district attorneys’ offices. A facilitated group conversation. Register here.
  11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. CT / 9:00 a.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. PT, 2 hours
  
• Asking The Hard Questions About Restorative Justice
  Register here.
  A space to bring your critical concerns and skepticism about restorative justice. Attorneys, judges, district attorney office personnel, court staff, and other community stakeholders are invited to ask questions about restorative justice for a discussion with practitioners and system leaders offering restorative justice in their jurisdictions. Register here.
  2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. MT / 11:00 a.m. PT, 90 minutes
  
• Coming Together: A Virtual Community Circle
  Register here.
  Hosted by the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice, participants can experience restorative practice in a virtual context with others from around the country and discuss themes relevant to the pursuit of justice. Space is limited and a commitment to the full 90 minutes is required. Reserve your spot today. Register here.
  2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. MT / 11:00 a.m. PT, 90 minutes