Restorative Practices & Restorative Justice
Restorative Practices is the science of relationships and community. It is “a way of thinking and being, focused on creating safe spaces for real conversations that deepen relationships and build stronger more connected communities.”
- Mark Vander Vennen, Shalem Mental Health Services.
Restorative Practices in Schools
Restorative practices focuses on building community, strengthening relationships within our schools, and repairing harm to the community or to individual relationships when it occurs. We partner with area schools to provide restorative services, offering a comprehensive menu of partnership options, including:
1- or 2-Day In-House Restorative Practices Professional Development
Led by IIRP-trained facilitators with hundreds of hours of experience in school-based restorative practices, this professional development event includes interactive activities for understanding the foundations and key applications of restorative practices.
Onsite Restorative Practices Facilitator
The DRCWM strongly recommends the use of non-school employees onsite to act as neutral restorative facilitators. Onsite facilitators facilitate responsive restorative circles among students and between students and staff to address harm, avoiding or decreasing exclusionary consequences. They also facilitate circles to reintegrate students after suspension or expulsion and perform proactive classroom circles as requested.
Restorative Practices Consultancy
Our consulting approach is grounded in the principles of restorative practices, which aim to build community, repair harm, and address conflict in a collaborative and healing manner. We work closely with school staff, administrators, students, and families to develop customized strategies that meet the unique needs of each district.
Restorative Practices Coaching
Our coaches work onsite to coach and model restorative practices in action. We provide side-by-side mentorship, observation feedback, thought partnership, and ongoing technical support to build internal capacity for a sustainable culture shift.
The Center currently has trained, onsite Restorative Practices Facilitators at the following locations:
Kelloggsville & Kenowa Hills Public Schools
Kenowa Hills Middle School
Kelloggsville Middle School
"Restorative practices is not just one more thing. It's the one thing that matters!" - Jane Robrahn, teacher
Interested in bringing us into your school?
Contact us for more information on in-house training and partnership options.
Restorative Justice in the Criminal Legal System
Through a partnership with the Kent County Prosecutor’s office and the City of Grand Rapids, the DRCWM facilitates a face-to-face meeting (Restorative Justice Conference, or RJC) between people who have committed crimes and the people who were affected by that crime. During the RJC, participants discuss what happened and how they were affected. They then work together to develop a written plan to repair the harm.
This restorative process often helps facilitate healing and allows those most affected by the crime to decide what will best repair the harm.
Interested in becoming a volunteer Restorative Justice facilitator?
Browse our upcoming training opportunites.

How RJ Conferencing Works:
- Referrals are made to the DRCWM by the Kent County Probation Office or City of Grand Rapids
- Cases are carefully screened by the DRCWM staff. Pre-conference meetings are held separately with the person(s) who caused harm and the person(s) who experienced the harm. The meetings are held to explain the process, answer questions, and prepare the parties for the conference.
- When any of the parties are juveniles, a parent or guardian participates. Other support persons may participate for both parties.
- A trained RJ facilitator facilitates the RJ Conference. All participants and their supporters have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion. Open dialogue and honest feelings are encouraged.
- The participants develop and sign a written agreement detailing how to repair the harm.
- The DRCWM staff monitor compliance with the agreement and shares status updates with the prosecutor’s office.
- Successful completion of the agreement results in a dropping of criminal charges.
Restorative Practices for the Community & Workplace
Community Connections
The DRCWM has worked with a variety of businesses in West Michigan - educational institutions, non-profit organizations, community mental health centers and more.
The DRCWM will partner with your organization of business to provide any of the following:
- Training for community members in the science of restorative practices and the practical application of facilitating pro-active community-building circles and responsive restorative circles to draw on the strengths of the communities to address the needs of the communities.
- Coaching to leaders to identify opportunities for restorative community-building and responses to community harm
- Coaching for community volunteer facilitators to identify strengths and challenges of facilitators to improve service
- Facilitation of community/workplace harm circles
Interested in bringing us to your organization?
Contact us for more information on in-house training or the facilitation of a workplace harm circle.