Books About Restorative Justice
This is not a comprehensive list, but it will keep you busy for a while!
A Human Being Died that Night by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
A Restorative Justice Reader: Texts, Sources, Context by Gerry Johnstone
As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda by Catherine Claire Larson
Beyond Prisons: A New Interfaith Paradigm for Our Failed Prison System by Lauraet Magnani & Harmon L. Wray
Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (3rd ed.) by Howard Zehr
Circle Forward: Building a Restorative School Community by Carolyn Boyes-Watson & Kay Pranis, Living Justice Press*
Circle in the Square: Building Community and Repairing Harm in School by Nancy Ristenberg, Living Justice Press*
Colorizing Restorative Justice: Voicing Our Realities edited by Edward C Valandra, Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšíla
Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa by Antjie Krog
Critical Issues in Restorative Justice by Barb Toews and Howard Zehr
Doing Democracy with Circles by Jennifer Ball, Wayne Caldwell & Kay Pranis, Living Justice Press*
Dreams From the Monster Factory by Sunny Schwartz & David Boodell
Handbook of Restorative Justice: A Global Perspective (Routledge International Handbooks) by Dennis Sullivan and Larry Tifft
Heart of Hope: A Guide for Using Peacemaking Circles to Develop Emotional Literacy, Promote Healing and Build Healthy Relationships by Carolyn Boyes-Watson & Kay Pranis
Justice in Transition: Community Restorative Justice in Northern Ireland by Anna Eriksson
Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime by Susan Herman
Peacemaking Circles: From Conflict to Community by Kay Pranis, Mark Wedge & Barry Stewart, Living Justice Press*
Peacemaking Circles & Urban Youth: Bringing Justice Home by Carolyn Boyes-Watson, Living Justice Press*
Restoring Justice (2nd ed.) by Daniel W. Van Ness & Karen Heetderks Strong
Restorative Justice Dialogue: An Essential Guide for Research and Practice by Mark Umbreit and Marilyn Peterson Armour
Restorative Justice: International Perspectives by Burt Galaway & Joe Hudson
Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation by John Braithwaite
Restorative Justice and Violence Against Women by James Ptacek
Returning to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice (2nd ed.) by Rupert Ross
Social Work and Restorative Justice: Skills for Dialogue, Peacemaking and Reconciliation by Elizabeth Beck, Nancy P. Kropf and Pamela Blume-Leonard
Sexual Offending and Restoration by Mark Yantzi
The Community Justice Ideal: Preventing Crime and Achieving Justice by Todd R. Clear & David Karp
The Ethic of Traditional Communities and the Spirit of Healing Justice: Studies From Hollow Water, the Iona Community, and Plum Village by Jarem Sawatsky
The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking by Kay Pranis*
The Little Book of Conflict Transformation by John Lederach
The Little Book of Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr
The Little Book of Restorative Justice for People in Prison: Rebuilding the Web of Relationships by Barb Toews
The Little Book of Trauma Healing: When Violence Strikes and Community Is Threatened (Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding) by Carolyn Yoder and Howard Zehr
The Little Book of Victim Offender Conferencing by Lorraine S. Amstutz
The Politics of Restorative Justice by Andrew Woolford
Transforming Justice, Lawyers, and the Practice of Law by Majorie Silver
Violent Partners: A Breakthrough Plan for Ending the Cycle of Abuse by Linda Mills
Creating Restorative Schools: Setting Schools Up to Succeed by Martha A. Brown, PhD
*Living Justice Press is a non-profit publishing house that specializes in restorative justice and peacemaking. They lose money if you purchase their books through third party vendors. Please place your orders directly with the publisher.
Header Photo by Maurice Pinzon
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