Content Warning: rape, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

Marlee Liss is a survivor,award-winning speaker, victim advocate, somatic educator, and author from Toronto, Canada. She grew up in the arts, but pivoted to social work when she began her college career. It was in Marlee’s junior year when her life changed forever; she became the victim of a sexual assault and entered an arduous journey in the criminal justice system as a result. However, three years into that battle for justice, Marlee found an additional path: restorative justice. According to Walden University, quote “Punitive justice is the idea of punishing criminals for their crimes against society or the legal system itself, and is the traditional method of handling crime in the United States. Restorative justice seeks to bring victims of crimes into the justice process. Criminals are asked to take accountability for their wrongdoing by facing those they have wronged... The theory is that criminals owe more than a debt to society—they owe a debt to specific people,” end quote. The two processes are not always mutually exclusive. It’s important to note that criminal justice can occur tandemly with restorative justice practices. The Broken Cycle Media team is so very grateful for Marlee's powerful perspective advocacy and time and energy in sharing in this episode.

Resources:

Survivors for Justice Reform:
https://www.survivors4justicereform.com/

Dr. Alissa Ackerman:
https://www.alissaackerman.com/

Marlee's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/marleeliss/

Marlee's TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@marleeliss

Survivors for Justice Reform on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/survivors4justicereform/

National Association of Community and Restorative Justice:
https://www.nacrj.org/

NACRJ Restorative Justice Map:
https://members.nacrj.org/rj-map/FindStartsWith?term=%23%21

Sources:

Statistics: The Criminal Justice System - Rainn, rainn.org/facts-statistics-the-scope-of-the-problem/statistics-the-criminal-justice-system/

“What Is Restorative Justice?” Walden University, www.waldenu.edu/programs/criminal-justice/resource/what-Is-restorative-justice.