First-Year Seminars 110RJ - Explorations in Restorative and Transformative Justice

This course is a first year seminar on the principles and practices of restorative justice. Restorative justice is a movement that seeks to reimagine justice by building on indigenous theories and practices of human community. Students examine principal restorative justice models and programs for how they understand and respond to harm, especially as they reflect the accountability of key stakeholders (victims, offenders, communities and justice systems). Restorative justice approaches are contrasted with conventional western ways of addressing harm, be they small or large ruptures in the social fabric. The ideas of key activists and theorists in restorative justice circles are critically engaged in institutional settings ranging from schools to prisons.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.