Books | Videos | Movies

Movies and Videos

Detroit Rising: How the Motor City Becomes a Restorative City (2020) Restorative Practices Pioneer Ted Wachtel, recruits Kerra Bolton, a disillusioned ex-pat writer to document black-led, grassroots efforts in Detroit to restore relationships, repair harm, and build social capital through restorative practices. Join Kerra as she explores the impact of restorative practices in Detroit's classrooms, courts, and executive boardrooms and views Detroit through the lens of a man whose family tragedy led to his vision of Detroit as a restorative city. More info at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/detroitrising

Circles (2018)- Eric Butler, a Hurricane Katrina survivor and pioneer of the restorative justice movement, relocates and finds work at an Oakland, California, high school enforcing his no-nonsense approach to counseling vulnerable Black and Latino teenagers. Shot over two years, the film follows Butler's impassioned efforts to nurture troubled youth and keep them in school, fighting racial discrimination by replacing snap suspensions and expulsions with gritty, intimate and honest mentoring. But when his own teenage son is arrested and beaten in jail, he begins to question his methods and ability—not just as a teacher, but also as a father. With incredible access, Circles is an inspirational portrait of a father desperate to provide his son with the leadership and compassion he never received from his own. More info at: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7u5kdi

Risking Light (2019)- Three stories: Mary's son was murdered. Kilong was tortured. Debra was abducted as a baby. What would you do if given the opportunity to meet the people who destroyed your life? Three unique journeys to a surprising shared destination. More info at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU9Z-WnIWIE

Another Justice (2017)- Leonard is serving a life sentence in a Florida prison for the murders of Patricia and Chris. Agnes — the victims’ mother and grandmother — decided to contact him in the hope it would help her heal from this tragedy and give it meaning. As the law didn’t allow her to meet Leonard, she wrote to him instead. Their exchange led them to join in a mutual fight to promote restorative justice — an alternative stance on justice based on prevention and victim/offender dialog. Their struggle echoes those of others families, bringing us to examine what restorative justice means and the hopes it sparks. More info at: https://vimeo.com/357377508

Healing Justice (2017)- explores the causes and consequences of the current North American justice system and its effect on marginalized communities. The film walks back through the history of violence that has led to our current system, bringing into focus the histories of trauma – on a personal, interpersonal, community, and generational level. This powerful documentary addresses the school-to-prison pipeline, the need for comprehensive criminal justice reform, and the importance of healing and restorative practices. More info at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTc3qwfII8

Restorative Justice: Changing Hearts and Minds - Filmed over a two-year period, our new half-hour documentary "Restorative Justice: Changing Hearts and Minds" follows the local restorative justice movement as it takes root in Santa Rosa schools, the Sonoma County judicial and probation system and in the lives of victims, offenders, teachers, students, volunteers and parents. More info at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuz8dmJbzJs

The Reena Virk Story Reena Virk was only fourteen when she was beaten and drowned by a group of her peers in a middle-class suburb of Victoria, B.C.  For over a decade now, Reena's parents, Suman and Manjit Virk, have struggled through rage and grief, bureaucracy and trials, media and misinformation; yet their main focus remains on the life affirming values of service, compassion, truth and understanding.  Their profound dedication to the prevention of similar tragedies, has led them into dialogue with communities, professionals and one of the youths responsible for Reenas death.  Manjit and Suman's courageous journey brings us to reconsider much of what we believe about love, conflict, compassion and justice. More info at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX0pjKkZaOQ

Panel Discussion: Restorative Justice to Address Sexual Harm hosted by Lanark County Community during Victims and Survivors of Crime Week Lanark Community Justice, Executive Director, Joellen McHard, asked engaging questions as special guests Marlee Liss and Cara Sweeny (Crown) share their thoughts and experiences. View here.

Books

Forging Justice by Margaret Murray “A compelling story with all the critical elements of a good mystery — great characters, well-paced action, interesting setting and dramatic plot — with the added bonus of a fascinating look at how restorative justice can help schools and communities deal with conflict and crime. Margaret Murray pulls it all together in a way that will delight her readers.” - Ted Wachtel, President and Founder, International Institute for Restorative Practices. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19370390-forging-justice?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=OuNGQARngY&rank=2

Dreaming of a New Reality by Ted Wachtel - Author provides compelling stories and statistics that demonstrate the promise of restorative practices, an exciting social movement. From restorative justice to restorative schools and workplaces, rarely does a proposed solution to challenging problems come with such a compelling track record — persuasive evidence that restorative practices heal victims, prevent bullying, curb conflict and boost satisfaction and productivity. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21264692-dreaming-of-a-new-reality?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Qvr0QMsqsi&rank=1

The Big Book of Restorative Justice: Four Classic Justice & Peacebuilding Books in One Volume by Howard Zehr, Allan Macrae, Kay Pranis, Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz - Restorative justice, with its emphasis on identifying the justice needs of everyone involved in a crime, is a worldwide movement of growing influence that is helping victims and communities heal while holding criminals accountable for their actions. This is not a soft-on-crime, feel-good philosophy, but rather a concrete effort to bring justice and healing to everyone involved in a crime. Circle processes draw from the Native American tradition of gathering in a circle to solve problems as a community. Peacemaking circles are used in neighborhoods, in schools, in the workplace, and in social services to support victims of all kinds, resolve behavior problems, and create positive climates. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28280620-the-big-book-of-restorative-justice?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6Vxsptpgl6&rank=1

Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement by Ejeris Dixon (Editor), Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Editor) - Transformative justice seeks to solve the problem of violence at the grassroots level, without relying on punishment, incarceration, or policing. Community-based approaches to preventing crime and repairing its damage have existed for centuries. However, in the punative atmosphere of contemporary criminal justice systems, they are often marginalized and operate under the radar. Beyond Survival puts these strategies front and center as real alternatives to today’s failed models of confinement and “correction.” More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51778952-beyond-survival?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=nFJ8DXccOs&rank=1

Restoring Justice: An Introduction to Restorative Justice by Daniel W. Van Ness (Author), Karen Heetderks Strong (Author) - offers a clear and convincing explanation of restorative justice, a movement within criminal justice with growing worldwide influence. It explores the broad appeal of this new vision and offers a brief history of its development. The book presents a theoretical foundation for the principles and values of restorative justice and develops its four cornerpost ideas of encounter, amends, inclusion and reintegration. After exploring how restorative justice ideas and values may be integrated into policy and practice, it presents a series of key issues commonly raised about restorative justice, summarizing various perspectives on each. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8455131-restoring-justice?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=imm99GQY4l&rank=1

Colorizing Restorative Justice: Voicing Our Realities edited by Edward C. Valandra, Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšíla, foreword by Justice Robert G. Yazzie ”The twenty authors of color in this book raise unsettling issues about restorative justice and restorative practices (RJ/RP), situated as they are in white supremacist settler societies that sustain deep roots in European invasion and colonizing. The contradiction between restorative practices and the Western, white supremacist, settler societies in which we practice them is inherent. We People of Color and Indigenous Peoples have not created the contradiction. It is there. But we collectively experience this contradiction in ways Whites do not. We feel an urgency about addressing this contradiction that our White settler colleagues seem not to perceive or express. We also feel an urgency about critically informing communities of color and Indigenous communities that this contradiction, while not of our making or choosing, is one we negotiate in restorative justice.” - From the introduction, by Edward C. Valandra. More info at: http://www.livingjusticepress.org/index.asp?SEC=%7BA4F47CC8-F442-437C-B33E-3F41DC21841A%7D

Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice by Zehr Howard - Crime victims have many needs, most of which our criminal justice system ignores. In fact, the justice system often increases the injury. Offenders are less ignored by this system, but their real needs for accountability, for closure, for healing are also left unaddressed. Such failures are not accidental, but are inherent in the very definitions and assumptions which govern our thinking about crime and justice. Howard Zehr proposes a "restorative" model which is more consistent with experience, with the past, and with the biblical tradition. Based on the needs of victims and offenders, he takes into account recent studies and biblical principles. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/817594.Changing_Lenses?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PAOxKfaEj7&rank=1

Returning to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice by Rupert Ross - During a three-year secondment with Justice Canada, Ross travelled from the Yukon to Cape Breton Island, examining—and experiencing—the widespread Aboriginal preference for “peacemaker justice.” In this remarkable book, he invites us to accompany him as he moves past the pain and suffering that grip so many communities and into the exceptional promise of individual, family and community healing that traditional teachings are now restoring to Aboriginal Canada. He shares his confusion, frustrations and delights as Elders and other teachers guide him, in their unique and often puzzling ways, into ancient visions of Creation and our role with it. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1305603.Returning_To_The_Teachings?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LKDmLnkmNe&rank=1

Dead Reckoning: How I Came to Meet the Man Who Murdered My Father by Carys Cragg - With gripping suspense and raw honesty, Dead Reckoning follows one woman's determination to confront the man who murdered her father, revealing her need for understanding and the murderer's reluctance to tell―an uneasy negotiation between two people from different worlds both undone by tragedy. This is a powerful and emotional memoir about how reconciling with the past doesn't necessarily provide comfort, but it can reveal the truth. More info at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34381427-dead-reckoning

The Restorative Principal: Leading in Education with Restorative Practices by Stephen Young - “This book is a reflection on my journey as a school leader incorporating Restorative Practices into my school leadership. Using true stories from my years as an elementary teacher, Vice Principal and, for the last 16 years of my career, Principal, I relay my learning journey with Restorative Practices: what RP is, and what it means to me; how RP intersects with leadership theories and practices; how I used RP to work with students, staff and parents; RP applications to Bullying, Discipline plans, and day-to-day communication. RP is the foundation, or in technical terms, the Operating System, by which all other programs run. Throughout the book there are many suggestions, learnings, and documents that I hope will provide school leaders with some theoretical and practical suggestions that they can apply to their own practices.

It is my hope those who read this book will enjoy and make connections to the stories and that this will add to their understanding of RP and its applications to a school setting. Further, I hope that school leaders will understand that RP is not a program, or a leadership ‘style’ but is a way of thinking and being that contributes to personal leadership approaches and relationships in one of the most important and influential roles in education today.

https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000153059706