Category Archives: Talking Piece

UW Extension and Restorative Justice have SO much in common!

I recently attended a summit on the social-emotional well-being of children and families in Pierce & St. Croix Counties.  These are the same counties that SCVRJP has been serving since 2001. I certainly appreciated hearing the term, the focus and intention

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Filed under Circle Process, Circle Stages, Community, Elementary Classroom Circles, Practitioner Skills, Relationships, SCVRJP, Talking Piece

Restorative Justice Circles, meeting the social brain needs, developing humanity.

For an example outside of this blog and SCVRJP, check out this presentation:  on DMC, from OJJDP, https://www.nttac.org/index.cfm?event=webinarJuvenileJustice   The slides and information on Circles start on PPT slide 44 (ppt here). What is described in this program, is very much like

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, Circle Stages, Community, Full Circle Experiences, Kris Miner, Practitioner Skills, Restorative Justice, SCVRJP, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ

Restorative Justice, beyond the victim-offender conference.

From an article in the Eau Claire Leader. HUDSON – Randy Spence admits it would take a miracle for him to ever forgive the drunken driver who killed his daughter. But Spence also realizes how close he came to possibly

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Filed under Formal Justice, Full Circle Experiences, offenders, personal growth, Practitioner Interviews, Relationships, Restorative Justice, SCVRJP, storytelling, Talking Piece, Victims

Fear, nervous energy, anxiety all acceptable before Circle-keeping.

I have a reverance for the Circle process.  Specifically, the Restorative Justice Circle process as I learned it, from Kay Pranis, Linda Wolf, Jamie Williams, Oscar Reed, and many, many, many people who have joined me in Circles over the

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, College Circles, Kris Miner, offenders, personal growth, Practitioner Skills, Restorative Justice, Restorative Justice in Schools, SCVRJP, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ, Tip of the Week

St. Croix Valley Restorative Justice Program – planned sessions for 2012

St. Croix Valley Restorative Justice Program in River Falls, WI provides a range of Restorative Justice Services for our community.  Click here for look at 2012: SCVRJP 2012 color calendar. Locally, SCVRJP addresses public health concerns like teen driving, underage consumption,

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Filed under Circle Process, offenders, Restorative Justice, SCVRJP, Talking Piece, Underage Consumption Panels, Victim Impact Panels, Victims, Volunteers

Restorative Justice Circles create connections, effortlessly.

The feeling at the end of the Circle was explained as having a sense of “did I meet you before”?  I loved that, and I got it right away.  When you meet someone and realize you have shared values, common

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, Full Circle Experiences, Practitioner Skills, Relationships, storytelling, Talking Piece

Circlekeep, Circlekeep, Circlekeep. The best path to a Circle-tator, or Circle facilitator.

The Circle keeper is the person who facilitates the Circle.  The word “facilitator” is not used because it implies a more formal role.  More formal meaning the power of hierarchy is used instead of the power of inclusion.  The power of

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, Circle Stages, Practitioner Skills, Restorative Justice in Schools, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ, Tip of the Week

4 “inner” tools to do effective Restorative Justice Circle work.

We only know what we know and we can only do what we can do.  What we know and do translates to how we think and act (our behavior). In a culture of safety, built by the values and structure

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, Full Circle Experiences, personal growth, Practitioner Skills, Relationships, Research, storytelling, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ, Tip of the Week

Agree-ers don’t realize they are judging. Restorative Justice Circles work best when non-judgemental.

I have been in lots and lots of Restorative Justice Circles.  They work best and feel the most natural when all of the concepts are being followed by everyone. Once in awhile you a person in the Circle, who just

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, Community, Practitioner Skills, Relationships, Restorative Justice, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ

The impact of teaching with Restorative Justice Circle process.

 I attended the first National Restorative Justice Conference in 2007.  A small gathering happened at breakfast for those teaching Restorative Justice.  I “crashed” and met Don Haldeman, who shared his course syllabus.  I went back to Wisconsin, and 7 months

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Filed under Circle Keeping, Circle Process, College Circles, personal growth, Relationships, Responses from participants, Restorative Justice, Restorative Justice in Schools, RJ Resources, SCVRJP, Talking Piece, Teaching RJ