Thursday, April 3, 2014

Restorative Justice Conference

A Boston mother and social justice activist whose son was killed by an act of violence will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, April 12, during the first conference meeting of the Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston (RJCH), which is being sponsored by the University of Houston College of Education.

Registration has been extended for this important event. Fee for the day is $35. The first annual conference is titled “Breaking the School to Prison Pipeline: Restorative Justice in Communities and Schools.” It will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on April 12 at the University of Houston College of Education, 214 Farish Hall, which is located on the UH main campus. Free parking will be available at the UH Parking Lot.

Keynote speaker Janet Conners, a resident of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, has worked for years in violence prevention programs only to see her own son killed by an act of violence in 2001. She will speak at the conference about her experiences and those of others in the burgeoning field of restorative justice.

Restorative justice focuses on the needs of both victims and communities affected by violent crime, and their journey to healing, and examines how this concept can bring peace into difficult situations. Spring Branch ISD has stepped forward in the past year to review and examine its own student discipline record and procedures.

During the Houston conference, participants will learn about similar restorative justice work in Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. The Academy of Choice (AOC) students will conduct a “circle training” session. Spring Branch ISD's AOC is piloting currently a restorative justice model on campus.


Learn more about Janet Conners through this podcast at Harvard EdCast:

Learn more about Restorative Justice in Houston:

For more information or details, please contact SBISD’s Anita Wadhwa, Ed.D., at 713-251-1555.

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