What is Restorative Justice?
3 Key Components:
Reconcile with the Victim - Who Was Affected? Reconciliation plays a vital role in restorative justice, involving mediation or meetings between the offender and the victim.
Obligations - Responsibility - Accountability. All must actively participate in the process to achieve a comprehensive and impactful resolution for everyone affected by the offender's actions. Respect must be maintained throughout this process, allowing those responsible for the harm to acknowledge their actions and accept accountability.
Engagement - Relationships All parties involved should contribute to a solution that fosters respect, commitment, and understanding. Establishing a supportive and accountable environment is key to achieving a meaningful resolution.
The Seven Key Elements
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Respect-Respecting the experience of RJ
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Compassion-Showing empathy
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Trust-Trusting the process and the people involved
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Honesty-Being honest about your intentions
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Humility-Having no reservations and being open
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Remorse-Humble realization of one’s misdeeds
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Responsibility-Taking responsibility for your actions and responses
Donna Foster is a powerful example of what courage, compassion, and true restorative justice look like. After losing her son to gun violence, Donna chose a path that very few people have the strength to walk. Instead of allowing grief to harden her heart, she committed herself to healing, accountability, and transformation.
Donna engaged fully in Restorative Justice practices, meeting face-to-face with the young man who took her son’s life. Through those conversations, she found room for understanding, truth-telling, and ultimately forgiveness. But Donna didn’t stop there—she became a fierce advocate for this young man’s future.
For years, Donna fought tirelessly for his safety, his rehabilitation, and his chance at a better life. She stood by him during his incarceration, advocated for him in court, supported his reentry, and ensured he would not be forgotten. She made it clear that saving his life, honoring her son's memory, and breaking the cycle of violence were all part of her mission. Her commitment became an act of profound humanity: To turn tragedy into transformation and loss into purpose.
Donna’s lived experience fuels her passion for supporting families impacted by violence, guiding youth away from destructive paths, and promoting healing-centered justice in her community. Her story is one of strength, forgiveness, advocacy, and unwavering belief in the possibility of redemption.
