Healing-Centered Restorative Justice

Susan Lori Brooks

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

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Healing-Centered Restorative Justice

Susan Lori Brooks^*

Published in International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 7, Issue 3)

Received: 30 August 2024 Accepted: 19 September 2024 Published: 29 September 2024

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Abstract

This concept paper maps out an approach to restorative justice that enriches current trauma-informed understandings and promotes healing and repair. The paper draws upon many sources, including qualitative research undertaken between 2021-23 in Israel/Palestine and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and an ongoing collaborative research project in the U.S. It also incorporates gathered wisdom on trauma and healing from leading experts across many disciplines. The paper begins by delineating different understandings of trauma, including personal, collective, historical, and structural forms. It then highlights three critical perspectives that offer useful insights into how the field of restorative justice can more effectively achieve its transformational potential: (1) Indigenous/collectivist perspectives; (2) positive psychology-related perspectives; and (3) transformative justice/abolitionist perspectives. The paper goes on to reframe these critical perspectives as core features of healing-centered restorative justice: first, a contextualized, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma; second, a strengths orientation toward human behavior; and third, a relational worldview grounded in interconnectedness, mutuality, and shared responsibility. By adopting this holistic and humanistic framework, restorative justice scholars and practitioners can develop effective and culturally sustaining conflict transformation processes that contribute to healing and repair at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of society.

Published in	International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 7, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
Page(s)	126-138
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Restorative Justice, Trauma, Healing, Relational, Indigenous

References

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Brooks, S. L. (2024). Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. International Journal of Law and Society, 7(3), 126-138. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

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ACS Style

Brooks, S. L. Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. Int. J. Law Soc. 2024, 7(3), 126-138. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

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Brooks SL. Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. Int J Law Soc. 2024;7(3):126-138. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15,
  author = {Susan Lori Brooks},
  title = {Healing-Centered Restorative Justice
},
  journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {126-138},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20240703.15},
  abstract = {This concept paper maps out an approach to restorative justice that enriches current trauma-informed understandings and promotes healing and repair. The paper draws upon many sources, including qualitative research undertaken between 2021-23 in Israel/Palestine and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and an ongoing collaborative research project in the U.S. It also incorporates gathered wisdom on trauma and healing from leading experts across many disciplines. The paper begins by delineating different understandings of trauma, including personal, collective, historical, and structural forms. It then highlights three critical perspectives that offer useful insights into how the field of restorative justice can more effectively achieve its transformational potential: (1) Indigenous/collectivist perspectives; (2) positive psychology-related perspectives; and (3) transformative justice/abolitionist perspectives. The paper goes on to reframe these critical perspectives as core features of healing-centered restorative justice: first, a contextualized, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma; second, a strengths orientation toward human behavior; and third, a relational worldview grounded in interconnectedness, mutuality, and shared responsibility. By adopting this holistic and humanistic framework, restorative justice scholars and practitioners can develop effective and culturally sustaining conflict transformation processes that contribute to healing and repair at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of society.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Healing-Centered Restorative Justice

AU  - Susan Lori Brooks
Y1  - 2024/09/29
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
T2  - International Journal of Law and Society
JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
SP  - 126
EP  - 138
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1908
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
AB  - This concept paper maps out an approach to restorative justice that enriches current trauma-informed understandings and promotes healing and repair. The paper draws upon many sources, including qualitative research undertaken between 2021-23 in Israel/Palestine and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and an ongoing collaborative research project in the U.S. It also incorporates gathered wisdom on trauma and healing from leading experts across many disciplines. The paper begins by delineating different understandings of trauma, including personal, collective, historical, and structural forms. It then highlights three critical perspectives that offer useful insights into how the field of restorative justice can more effectively achieve its transformational potential: (1) Indigenous/collectivist perspectives; (2) positive psychology-related perspectives; and (3) transformative justice/abolitionist perspectives. The paper goes on to reframe these critical perspectives as core features of healing-centered restorative justice: first, a contextualized, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma; second, a strengths orientation toward human behavior; and third, a relational worldview grounded in interconnectedness, mutuality, and shared responsibility. By adopting this holistic and humanistic framework, restorative justice scholars and practitioners can develop effective and culturally sustaining conflict transformation processes that contribute to healing and repair at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of society.

VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Susan Lori Brooks

Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

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http://orcid.org/0009-0006-7256-7745

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APA Style

Brooks, S. L. (2024). Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. International Journal of Law and Society, 7(3), 126-138. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Brooks, S. L. Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. Int. J. Law Soc. 2024, 7(3), 126-138. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Brooks SL. Healing-Centered Restorative Justice. Int J Law Soc. 2024;7(3):126-138. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15,
  author = {Susan Lori Brooks},
  title = {Healing-Centered Restorative Justice
},
  journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {126-138},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20240703.15},
  abstract = {This concept paper maps out an approach to restorative justice that enriches current trauma-informed understandings and promotes healing and repair. The paper draws upon many sources, including qualitative research undertaken between 2021-23 in Israel/Palestine and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and an ongoing collaborative research project in the U.S. It also incorporates gathered wisdom on trauma and healing from leading experts across many disciplines. The paper begins by delineating different understandings of trauma, including personal, collective, historical, and structural forms. It then highlights three critical perspectives that offer useful insights into how the field of restorative justice can more effectively achieve its transformational potential: (1) Indigenous/collectivist perspectives; (2) positive psychology-related perspectives; and (3) transformative justice/abolitionist perspectives. The paper goes on to reframe these critical perspectives as core features of healing-centered restorative justice: first, a contextualized, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma; second, a strengths orientation toward human behavior; and third, a relational worldview grounded in interconnectedness, mutuality, and shared responsibility. By adopting this holistic and humanistic framework, restorative justice scholars and practitioners can develop effective and culturally sustaining conflict transformation processes that contribute to healing and repair at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of society.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Healing-Centered Restorative Justice

AU  - Susan Lori Brooks
Y1  - 2024/09/29
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
T2  - International Journal of Law and Society
JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
SP  - 126
EP  - 138
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1908
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20240703.15
AB  - This concept paper maps out an approach to restorative justice that enriches current trauma-informed understandings and promotes healing and repair. The paper draws upon many sources, including qualitative research undertaken between 2021-23 in Israel/Palestine and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and an ongoing collaborative research project in the U.S. It also incorporates gathered wisdom on trauma and healing from leading experts across many disciplines. The paper begins by delineating different understandings of trauma, including personal, collective, historical, and structural forms. It then highlights three critical perspectives that offer useful insights into how the field of restorative justice can more effectively achieve its transformational potential: (1) Indigenous/collectivist perspectives; (2) positive psychology-related perspectives; and (3) transformative justice/abolitionist perspectives. The paper goes on to reframe these critical perspectives as core features of healing-centered restorative justice: first, a contextualized, multi-dimensional understanding of trauma; second, a strengths orientation toward human behavior; and third, a relational worldview grounded in interconnectedness, mutuality, and shared responsibility. By adopting this holistic and humanistic framework, restorative justice scholars and practitioners can develop effective and culturally sustaining conflict transformation processes that contribute to healing and repair at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels of society.

VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download