What Do Parenthood and Family Mean to You?

Following a season where we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Days, we are excited to present this issue’s Restorative Justice prompt: What do parenthood or family mean to you? There are many hindrances to parenthood and family in a carceral system: 20-minute phone calls, restrictive visits, video visits, delayed and inconsistent emails, snail mail correspondence, and a lack of transportation to faraway facilities. There are countless more.

Given the importance of family, especially when we are incarcerated, it is crucial that we work to overcome these challenges and build and maintain strong relationships with our families. Practicing restorative justice can help us focus on repairing the harm we have caused in our families and build relationships based on empathy and accountability.

We begin this issue’s column with two perspectives on restorative justice and family from two NPEP Restorative Justice practitioners: Professor Annalise Buth and NPEP alumnus William “Shafiq” Peeples. Then members of the NPEP community share what family and parenthood mean to them.

Learning from Family

By Professor Annalise Buth, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Families provide one of the best opportunities for restorative justice learning and practice. Today, I am home with my sick toddler Troi, and I’m immersed in lessons about boundaries because I know that I need to be present for him. Troi has become one of my greatest teachers.

I am practicing making space for Troi to experience and express feelings, working on healthy communication, identifying and communicating needs, and saying sorry when I mess up. I am continually reflecting on what a right relationship looks like in my family, not only as a parent but also as a spouse, child, sister, and aunt. This learning is messy in every sense — literally and figuratively — and it’s far from easy. But it’s beautiful.

Through the years, many students have described restorative justice to me as feeling held and supported. This is one of my deepest hopes for Troi. Restorative justice within families makes transformation a lived, daily reality.

Responses

Repairing Harm, Rebuilding Family, by William “Shafiq” Peeples

A Long Road Back, by William “Shafiq” Peeples

My Mother, My Aunt, My Foundation, by Jason Samuels

A Queen Without a Crown, by Will Williams

This Is What Family Looks Like, by Margaret DeFrancisco and Ashley Maloney

Crystal Clear, by Patrick Comi

Restoring House Harris, by Anthony Harris