Restorative Justice Proposal
Resolve: To have a restorative justice option for disciplinary infractions as an option to the traditional discipline ladder.
Sponsor: Judy Cohen, Gregg Palmer
Cost: $0
There will be an option, when deemed appropriate by administration, to have students settle disputes and account for school infractions using restorative justice methods including but not limited to restorative justice circles, mediation, and the practice of reality therapy.
2. Restorative justice methods would, in given circumstances, replace discipline using the
traditional ladder.
3. The discipline ladder would still serve as a method for ensuring the peaceful and profitable running of the school when a student or students rejected restorative justice as an alternative or when the administration deemed restorative justice to be an inappropriate method for adequately dealing with the infraction at hand. Furthermore, if recidivism occurs after the restorative justice was attempted, the discipline ladder would then be employed at the discretion of the school administration.
Narrative: While the traditional discipline ladder has served the Searsport District High School well we believe it is time to add restorative justice as an alternative form to resolve student
disputes and other infractions. This style of resolution has proven in both research and practice to provide a positive, effective means to correcting misbehavior. Both restorative justice circles and mediation help students who have been in conflict to come together and take responsibility for their part in the incident at hand as well as to fashion
a solution so that it doesn't happen again. Reality therapy and restorative justice circles
are options for a student who has violated the behavior code to account for their actions by taking responsibility and creating a plan to correct themselves as well as how to
best atone for the behavior in the school community. While other methods exist and can be used, these three will be the primary vehicles for students who want an alternative to
traditional discipline. This should result in fewer days out of class on suspension,
appropriate corrective plans, and positive, redeeming actions in the community to atone
for the misbehavior. Also, restorative justice has proven to create longer term solutions
with less recidivism. SDHS has been trained in all three methods of restorative justice listed here.