Exploration and Application of Restorative Justice

October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 6:30-8:00pm

$25 for all six sessions preregistered/prepaid.

This six-part series will briefly review the state of our current punitive justice system. It will turn its focus to Restorative Justice (RJ), its efficacy and limitations. There will be examples of how it is increasingly being used nationally, internationally, in Minnesota and our local region. Participants will receive information on opportunities for them to help RJ to expand and make justice systems more effective and healing. We will be using the Little Book of Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr, which you may wish to purchase before the class.

Our instructors:

Kendall Hughes served as chaplain in the Federal Prison system for 20 years, 14 of which were at the US Penitentiary Leavenworth, KS. At Leavenworth he established and directed an 18-month residential re-entry program that to date has had over 1000 participants. He understands how the Federal Justice System treats victims of violent crimes and witnessed the suffering in the highest security of Federal Prisons.

Sister Sue Reif has been involved in the field of Restorative Justice for almost 20 years. She developed and coordinated the re-entry program for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and started the Office of Restorative Justice for the Diocese of San Bernardino. She helped start the non-profit “Healing Hearts, Restoring Hope” for those affected by homicide in the Los Angeles area, which continues to provide outreach for families of murder victims and programs for violent offenders. At present, she serves on the Restorative Justice Committee of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops.