Learning Cohorts
RJI’s learning cohort model was created to build a more diverse restorative justice community by equipping participants with restorative conflict resolution and community-building skills and by supporting them to serve as advocates for a widespread justice paradigm shift. This six-month program was designed for cohorts of community members who wish to build restorative justice skills in a supportive community as they identify best practices and develop culturally competent programming. We have developed trusted partnerships and alliances with various NYC-based community organizing groups and service providers, such as Mayday Space, the New York Public Library, ACLU, Sakhi, the NYU Steinhardt School, and Drive Change.
Community Cohorts
IInformation about upcoming community learning cohorts coming soon.
Organizational Cohorts
Whether you are a community-based organization, an educational institution or a for-profit business, we’d love to work with you! Through workshops focused on the philosophy of restorative justice and restorative justice in action, followed by a series of six practice sessions, we will support your team to build skills and deepen relationships in order to foster a lasting culture of restorative practice. There is a sliding scale fee structure in place to accommodate groups and organizations with a range of resources. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation to determine if our approach is right for you.
Header image by Neha Gautam
What people are saying about Restorative Justice Initiative
As both a practitioner and researcher, I am especially grateful for RJI's emails about events and research that are important and timely.
Additionally, RJI helps practitioners connect with others doing this very challenging work nationwide and globally. RJI serves as a professional learning community for those involved in the restorative justice movement.
Finally, practitioners can access information on how to maintain their own wellness as they carry out this very important work."
— Virginia Diaz
“The Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) is a critical source of information and resources. Along with providing accessible and useful material for program development, RJI keeps us abreast of training opportunities and introduces us to other organizations in the restorative justice space. Connecting with RJI has been key to our progress creating an organization wide commitment to restorative principles and practice.”
—Stephen Tosh, Boys’ Club of New York Executive Director/CEO
“I didn’t think I could make friends with people who were from different places than me.”“We were quiet before you all got here. You brought the voice out of us.”“We all get to be weird here, together, and accept one another’s weird”
“What Restorative Justice Initiative is doing to bring together people working in restorative justice in different arenas is truly amazing. People are learning from each other, updating ideas, and finding ways to make restorative justice work in complex real life situations in New York.
— Tracey
“In my role as a law professor, I teach students about ways to resolve conflict and achieve justice that are healing rather than adversarial and punitive, exposing them to compassionate alternatives to traditional legal practice. Students are excited to learn about the healing potential of restorative practices and the empirical evidence demonstrating that such practices reduce recidivism among those who may have engaged in transgressions against their communities. The Restorative Justice Initiative is an indispensable resource enabling me to share with my students placement opportunities, trainings, and conferences, that may offer them pathways to using their legal talents to engage in this vital work. There is nothing else like it in New York.
— Marjorie
“Expanding non-adversarial ways to resolve wrong-doing that includes perpetrator, victim, and community—is essential if our country is to move in the direction of peace. RJI does a wonderful job of pulling together many New York City area organizations that are working toward this goal.
— Julia
“The Restorative Justice Initiative is essential in helping New York City build and grow a network of stakeholders from the government, nonprofit and private sectors interested in advancing restorative principles, practices and policies in our criminal , education and social service systems.
— Julie