Our Values
We’re here for the journey, not just an outcome. Growth is never easy; it takes time, patience, and effort. Our organization strives towards equitability, accountability, and repair.
What We Do
We gather to increase understanding, share practical application, ensure cultural inclusion, and explore theoretical implications of living and working restoratively in the Northwest.
Our Mission
To gather those engaged in learning about the principles, values, and practices of Restorative Justice in the Northwest.
Our Vision
A healthy and impactful restorative justice community in the Northwest.
Commitment To Equity
Restorative Justice Northwest (RJNW) recognizes that persistent inequities exist between social groups including race, gender, class, national origin, ethnicity, culture, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, and more.
Restorative justice practices in the Northwest have been shaped by these structural inequities, and the dominant culture that justifies them, and it follows that restorative justice practices can perpetuate systemic harm and injustice. These realities hinder the realization of RJNW’s vision of a healthy and meaningful restorative justice community of practice in the Northwest.
We recognize that the field of restorative justice should center the voices of harmed parties and we acknowledge where the field has failed to achieve this goal. Restorative justice, as a community, relies on all voices invested in accessible and inclusive justice.
We recognize that we have historically failed to include the voices and perspectives of many marginalized communities. We are committed to making RJNW a space of safety and meaningful participation for people and communities who have experienced marginalization within the field of restorative justice, and recognize that restorative justice cannot truly be actualized without the presence of the voices of those who have been most directly harmed by social inequities. RJNW, as a convening body, has a responsibility to achieve significant and meaningful access by ensuring that our committees and programs represent the anti-racist, inclusive world in which we want to live.
RJNW realizes that the path toward equity is a journey; therefore, this Commitment to Equity statement is a living document.