Restorative Justice Up Close - by Sally Swarthout Wolf (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

--Howard Zehr, author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice

The use of restorative justice is becoming more commonplace around the country. This practice brings victims together with offenders to discuss the impact of the offense, restore breaches of community, and draw up a plan for repair. Unlike proceedings in a court of law that prioritize punishment, restorative justice addresses victims' desire for accountability, understanding, and healing.

But it is also a confidential process--rarely videotaped or accessible to those who want to know: What actually happens in a restorative justice session? Restorative Justice Up Close is the first book to relate stories of actual dialogues, in the words of participants. Affecting and direct, the book features stories from K-12 school staff about restorative circles that got to the root of misbehavior without suspensions, and from skeptical police and probation officers who learn that a facilitated dialogue can produce better outcomes than a prosecution ever could. And in stories that will make readers cry, Restorative Justice Up Close recounts meetings between survivors of violent crime and those responsible, where both parties emerge with a sense of relief and healing.

A book for educators, justice reformers, and anyone curious about a more humane approach to wrongdoing, Restorative Justice Up Close offers a compelling picture of what it truly means to "do justice."

Review Quotes

"This book brings warmth, authenticity, and depth to a field too often rendered in abstract terms."--Marcus Hodges, board president, American Probation and Parole Association

"A practical guide for what has worked and not worked in restorative justice processes in schools, community and justice systems."--David Yusem, District Restorative Justice Coordinator, Oakland Unified School District

"Restorative Justice Up Close gives us a glimpse of human resilience, and that is the seed of hope."--Kay Pranis, author of Peacemaking Circles: From Crime to Community

"Compulsory reading for practitioners and those in our agencies, organizations, and communities who are hoping for better outcomes when crime and conflict happen."--Margaret Thorsborne, founding director and chair, Restorative Practices International

"Restorative Justice Up Close doesn't offer easy answers. Instead, it delivers real stories--honest, complex, and often uncomfortable--of people grappling with harm, accountability, and healing. Through a rich tapestry of diverse stories and voices, this collection invites us into the courageous moments when our thinking evolves, our hearts shift, and we rediscover our shared humanity."--Linda Kligman, PhD, president of the International Institute of Restorative Practices

"There is a growing body of empirical evidence on restorative justice, but the field has been missing a crucial resource--a book of stories that help us understand how it serves as a platform for people to work out their differences, express their pain, and find pathways toward healing and reconciliation."--David R. Karp, professor and director, Center for Restorative Justice

"This book honors all those who walk the path of truth, repair, and the human heart."--Hon. Colleen Sheehan, retired Cook County Illinois judge

"Sally Wolf is an important voice in the field of restorative justice."--Donald Haldeman, professor and restorative justice practitioner

"Data can provide a snapshot of restorative justice, but it lacks the emotional power of storytelling that truly moves and compels us. This book fills that gap by offering a profound understanding of restorative justice and its transformative impact on offenders, victims, and the community. I highly recommend this book to any justice system practitioner."--Mark Werner, director, Juvenile Redeploy Services, Juvenile Justice Division, Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois

"This wonderful book demonstrates a transcendent approach to justice and community safety. A true testament to the effectiveness of restorative justice approaches for crime victims and survivors, those who harm them, their families, and all those who serve them."--Anne Seymour, co-founder and senior advisor of Justice Solutions

"I've said for years that if we could get skeptics and nay-sayers to experience restorative practices, they would 'get it.' The stories here offer not only evidence of their power but also reveal strategies and lessons valuable to both new and experienced practitioners. Wolf brings restorative justice to life in ways that are raw, refreshing, revealing, and ultimately restorative."--Martha Brown, author of Creating Restorative Schools: Setting Schools Up to Succeed

"This compendium is a valuable resource for anyone committed to creating positive change in their community. Through its stories, it reveals the possibilities of restorative justice and the outcomes it can achieve. By putting a clear face to its practices and demonstrating real-world impact, it stands as a lasting reminder of restorative justice's transformative power. This book will remain an essential tool in contextualizing restorative justice applications and practices for years to come."--Carsten Erbe, director of Restorative Justice for the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Manitoba

"Restorative Justice Up Close provides great stories that make restorative justice real and believable."--Ted Wachtel, founder of the International Institute for Restorative Practice

"There are dozens of books, websites, and resources that will tell you how to engage in restorative justice practice. But seasoned practitioners and newcomers alike learn best through stories. The stories Sally Swarthout Wolf has gathered will inform your own practice and remind you that you are not alone."--Chris Corrigan, co-founder of Harvest Moon Consultants and global steward of The Art of Hosting community

"A powerful collection of stories of people and communities making the difficult choice to face conflict with honesty and compassion. These stories demonstrates that real justice and lasting accountability can start with a chair and a conversation."--Robert Simmons, assistant state's attorney, Juvenile Division, and supervisor, Winnebago County, Illinois, state's attorney's office

"This remarkable collection of essays demonstrate the possibility and power of restorative justice solutions to create just harmony for children, youth, victims of serious harm, community members, and police. This is an important book that helps readers reframe their understanding of justice and the possibilities for stronger communities where all individuals have opportunities to flourish."--Dr. Jennifer Hockenbery, interim executive director of Women of the ELCA, and
editor of Journal of Lutheran Ethics

"Over my thirty years as a state representative and senator in the Colorado Legislature and proponent of numerous bills to implement restorative justice, this is the book I have been waiting for! Restorative Justice Up Close should be read by anyone involved in the criminal legal or education system--policy makers, prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, legislators, school board members and administrators, and especially crime survivors, so they know there are alternatives available to them."--Pete Lee, former Colorado representative and senator

"For decades people have been able to witness from outside the possible contribution the restorative justice can make to building peaceful and civil societies. Restorative justice is described by some as almost being magic when addressing discipline and providing justice. The twenty-eight essays in this book reveal the magicians' tricks. By peering inside various restorative justice processes and contexts, specific practices and insights are revealed. The reader is given a front-row seat to healing processes to show how restorative justice creates a container for 'heart shift'--the kind of relief and calm that comes from well-structured honest and heartfelt communication. Harm does not happen in a vacuum--and healing does not happen alone. This text provides remarkable insights for how restorative justice contributes to healing and transformation at the levels of self, system, and society."--David Anderson Hooker, associate professor at University of Notre Dame, and founder and principal narrator of CounterStories Consulting

"Sally's book takes us 'up close' to the heart of restorative justice, to those tender moments that reveal our common humanity, to the gifts of restorative justice. This book, through personal stories from school to prisons, holds precious insights. Hold this book in your hands and read these stories that have been generously shared. You will be lifted up with love and hope."--Brenda Morrison, associate professor and director of the Research and Engagement Centre for Restorative Justice, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University

"Restorative Justice Up Close provides a much-needed addition to the growing literature on restorative justice policies, programs, and research. Most importantly, Sally Wolf has anchored her work in the enormous power of story, from multiple perspectives. These real-life stories and those shared by many other authors and practitioners, including myself, provide strong evidence of the real human impact of accountability and healing through restorative practices. From its humble beginning in the past century, restorative justice has truly become a social movement in the global community, having increasing impacts far beyond its original focus on justice systems."--Mark Umbreit, professor emeritus and founding director of the Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota, and founding president of the National Association for Community and Restorative Justice

About the Author

Sally Swarthout Wolf has more than twenty years of experience as a restorative justice practitioner, trainer, speaker, and leader. She is the former director of Ford County Probation and Court Services and the co-founder of the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project. She lives in Ford County, Illinois.