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An Org Collective tool

The Restorative Justice process — formats, the repair framework, and the accountability checklist — is part of the Collective org membership. Unlock full access to continue.

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Restorative Justice

Repair over punishment

A formal process for addressing harm, restoring trust, and rebuilding the conditions for collaboration — grounded in the repair frameworks from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging by Sahar Muhsin Laufman.

Restorative Justice is not mediation. Mediation assumes equal power. When harm occurs across power differentials — which it almost always does — the process must account for that asymmetry. RJ is also not about forgiveness. The harmed party is not obligated to forgive. The goal is accountability, repair, and the restoration of safety — not absolution.

This page offers a structured process. Use it when harm has been named and all parties are willing to engage. If someone is not willing, the process still supports the person who experienced harm — because repair does not require the participation of the one who caused it.

The RJ Process

Step 1

Identify the Harm

Before any process begins, the harm must be named — specifically. "There was a conflict" is not specific. "When X said Y in the meeting on Tuesday, the impact was that I felt dismissed, my contribution was erased, and I did not speak for the rest of the meeting" — that is specific. The person who experienced harm defines what happened.

Step 2

Select the Format

Not every situation requires a face-to-face circle. Choose the format that matches the severity, the willingness of parties, and the power dynamics involved.

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Direct RJ Circle

Facilitated conversation between the person who caused harm and the person who experienced it. Both parties are willing.

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Indirect / Shuttle

Facilitator moves between parties separately. Used when direct contact would cause further harm or one party is unwilling.

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Team Circle

Includes team members affected by the harm. Used when the impact extends beyond the two primary parties.

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Self-Directed Repair

The person who caused harm undertakes repair independently: written acknowledgment, behavioral commitments, amends — without requiring the harmed person's participation.

Your chosen format

Step 3

The Repair Framework

Regardless of format, the repair follows the same five-part structure from Processes of Repair (Ch. 2.5):

  • Acknowledge the impact — separate from intent. "I hear that what I did had the impact of..."
  • Take responsibility without defense — no "but," no explanation that justifies. "That was mine."
  • Name the specific harm — what was said or done, and why it was harmful.
  • Commit to specific behavioral change — concrete, observable, measurable. What will be different going forward.
  • Offer amends — ask "What would repair look like for you?" and honor that answer.
Step 4

Accountability Checklist

Before closing the process, verify:

The person who caused harm understands the impact of their action — not just the fact that it happened.
A specific behavioral commitment has been made and documented.
The harmed person has had full agency — they were not pressured, rushed, or managed.
If a power differential exists, it was explicitly named and addressed — not ignored under the guise of neutrality.
A follow-up check-in is scheduled (30 days recommended) to assess whether the commitment was kept.
The harmed person was asked: "Is there anything else you need to feel safe returning to full collaboration?"
Step 5

Document & Follow Up

The process is not complete at the circle. Repair is sustained or eroded in the weeks that follow. Write a brief, mutually agreed summary: what was acknowledged, what was committed to, when the follow-up check-in will occur. Both parties receive a copy. The document is not punitive — it's structural. It creates accountability that outlasts the emotional momentum of the session.

Saved

"The measure of an organization is not whether harm occurs — it's what happens after."

Repair is not a single conversation. It is a practice, a culture, a commitment that survives discomfort. Install this process before you need it. When harm occurs — and it will — you won't be inventing the architecture in the middle of the rupture.

From Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Workplace & Everyday Life by Sahar Muhsin Laufman (Bookboon, 2022), Chapter 2.5: Processes of Repair, and the ECO Counter-Oppression Toolkit.