Restorative Justice in Schools: The Power to Heal and Educate

In his capstone presentation at EMU’s Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, Dennis Gingrich used the lessons learned from a circle he facilitated for 8th – 12th grade boys. "He should just go kill himself like his mother did!” was the flashpoint that created a volatile and potentially violent situation fueled by the hurt and anger these young men had lived with throughout their lives.

The story will be retold and then used to highlight key lessons learned from a variety of perspectives – participant, facilitator, student, adult and practitioner. The story captures the messiness and realities of using RJ in a school system and with youth who have not been exposed to alternative methods of facing their issues.