The Fairfax County School is using Restorative Justice (RJ), a formal victim-centered process for responding to harm and wrongdoing, to address discipline in schools.  Restorative Justice practice is a philosophy based on a set of principles for responding to harm and wrongdoing that is victim-centered and focuses on offender accountability to those who were harmed, as well as to the laws or rules that were broken.  Since its inception, there have been over 1000 cases diverted through the RJ program.   Additionally, the Fairfax County Police Department has trained all of their officers, to include School Resource Officers, in the use of Restorative Justice.  Officers must justify why they did not recommend a child to the Restorative Justice Program.  The objective is to divert our children from the criminal justice system.  A similar process is being used in the Juvenile Justice Courts, Alternative Accountability Program.  This is an excellent resource in reducing the “school to prison pipeline.”  Contact us to learn more about Restorative Justice or to become a facilitator.