How We Heal
How we can heal harm through a restorative justice lens.
By Abdul-Malik Muhammad
Welcome to the second edition of our Restorative Justice column. I am Abdul-Malik Muhammad, aka Malik. I’m an NPEP graduate and recently served as an NPEP restorative justice fellow.
In this issue, we are focusing on healing harm through a restorative justice lens that is:
“Preventative,” in repeating a cycle of harm.
“Redemptive,” in the way we heal.
“Transformative,” by offering a less punitive approach that focuses on the injured individual's need for healing and the need of the individual who caused harm to make amends.
“Restorative,” by taking responsibility for the harm and setting agreements to repair the harm to begin the healing process.
We recognize how difficult it can be to heal. Some injured individuals feel as though they have lost control of their lives, and their autonomy feels broken when they experience a wrongful act.
This is why we create a community social space where everyone, both the injured and the offender, feels as though they belong.
Our restorative justice circle is designed to create a safe space that feels open without barriers between participants. Everyone has a voice and a chance to speak once before anyone speaks twice. This is the beautiful thing about a talking piece being passed around in the circle—each participant has an opportunity to be seen, heard, and supported.
It is a great honor and privilege to present responses to this issue’s prompt: “How do you heal?”
Healing and Restorative Justice
By Annalise Buth
Buth is a Clinical Associate Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center on Negotiation, Mediation, and Restorative Justice at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Buth also supports NPEP’s restorative justice program.
Restorative justice offers a path for addressing harm and healing. At its core, restorative justice embraces a relational understanding of justice—one that recognizes the deep interconnection of our world. Healing and restorative justice flow together. Healing grows out of restorative practices focused on truth-telling, accountability, remorse, amends, and repair.
The cycle of harm and violence results in unhealed wounds. We need to heal in order to build equitable, just, and healthy communities. And when communities come together to address harm, they create opportunities for individual and collective healing. We heal in relationship rather than in isolation.
Healing is not linear. There are no clear “finish lines” in a healing journey. Instead, healing allows us to learn how to ride waves of grief, pain, and shame that ebb and flow. Healing transforms us.
We all carry the capacity to both cause and experience harm, and we all need healing.
