Daniel Rhodes, Ph.D., UNCG Director of Undergraduate Studies in Social Work discussed the emerging Restorative Justice (RJ) movement and the integration of RJ practices into communities, professional training and academic programs such as social work, peace & conflict studies, community justice/criminal justice, and sociology. 

We discussed how RJ seeks to holistically address experiences of harm - which formerly had been disregarded.  We discussed how modern police training and practices is increasingly seeking to integrate restorative justice into current and future professional police practice.

Daniel and I further discussed how RJ seeks to reverse repetitive labeling / stereotyping such  as a "bad kid" - because these labels can become self- fulfilling.  RJ work seeks to reverse this labeling by empowering individuals to change their lives positive and re-write their story if their story has been a negatively stereotyped story. 

Daniel further discussed how the mission of Restorative Justice is to change the community - into a more positive, inclusive and proactive place which takes responsibility for making the lives of those who live in it better.