Restorative Justice (RJ) is a cornerstone of the Wisconsin Prison Partnership’s work inside prisons. RJ is a wide and inclusive view of justice that goes beyond traditional ideas of crime and punishment and seeks to involve all of those affected by crime—victims, offenders, and community members—in purposeful discussions that explore and repair the harm caused by crime.

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The roots of Restorative Justice reach deep into human history and can be traced to indigenous cultures throughout the world. These cultures understood that harm ripples out to affect relationships throughout the community, and that thoughtful community dialogue is needed to restore trust, mutual respect, and balance.

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Restorative Justice in prison allows us to take the stories of the men and women inside to the outside world and take the outside world to the men and women inside. Through sharing, caring, and purposeful discussions healing can take place.

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Each year, WPP volunteers facilitate nearly a dozen, 12-week RJ circles in men's and women's correctional facilities across Wisconsin. These programs meet weekly for discussions about perspective, community, law and justice, mindfulness meditation, and family, culminating in a 3-day session where participants hear and respond to the testimony of survivors of violent crime.

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In the last 20 years, more than 1,200 men and women and graduated from these RJ groups, with many former graduates returning to these circles as peer mentors, and organizing service projects in their prison communities such as creating fundraising drives for daycare centers, domestic abuse facilities, and homeless shelters. Upon release, some graduates have created community-based initiatives to continue the work of restorative justice on the outside.

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To learn more about our innovative program structure and the impacts of this program, click here.