Welcome to Partners in Restorative Initiatives!
Partners in Restorative Initiatives is a nonprofit community-based organization that provides advocacy, education, training and facilitation in Restorative Practices.
Our aim is to strengthen the community while repairing relationships through the utilization of Restorative Practices.
PiRI addresses the resolution of wrongdoing and the need to heal relationships in courts, schools, workplaces, families and neighborhoods. Restorative Practices encourage participants to support and understand one another while solving problems as we celebrate our similarities as well as our differences.
To learn more about PiRI’s work in Restorative Practices, follow the links on this page. Please join us in our work to make our community a more restorative community and a better place for everyone.
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Internationally recognized trainer, Sandra Hastings comes to Rochester this February
Constable Sandra Hastings will train Rochester area college and university campus security and student conduct personnel in restorative community policing during the week of February 13.
This training will offer an introduction to restorative practices and an overview of how restorative justice can support campus safety and student interactions.
Restorative practices help:
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hold students who harm accountable for their actions.
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provide those harmed with a safe place to share how the incident impacted them.
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give students, faculty and residence hall staff a voice in helping the respondent (offender) make things right.
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develop an effective alternative to the traditional system of judicial affairs.
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create a culture of belonging and caring where community standards are relied upon for setting and correcting behavior.
The following week, Rochester Police Department School Resource Officers and police officers in the southwest sector will participate in a training to learn a restorative way of responding to wrongdoing, resolving conflict and building relationships in the community.
Constable Hastings, a native of Leicestershire, UK, is a recognized expert in restorative community policing. She was awarded the Police Fulbright Scholarship and studied and shared RJ practices at PiRI in 2006/07. As a result of her work throughout the UK, she was appointed to a national group that produces government policy guidelines around police discretion.
These trainings will be held at 111 Hillside Ave. Registration can be completed by email to office@pirirochester.org, or call 585-473-0970, deadline is January 31, 2012.
Partners in Restorative Initiatives and the Gandhi Institute are sponsoring these trainings.
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Accountablity Circles Affecting Youth -by Lisa Barrett
Happy New Year! My name is Lisa Barrett, and I am a Prevention Educator for Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA). I attended Peace Circle training provided by PIRI in November of 2010.
I was new to the whole concept of Peace Circles, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. PIRI made the experience one I will never forget! The circle process gives each participant a safe environment to share their personal stories. When you listen to each person speaking, you begin to understand what they’ve gone through in their life, and you can’t help but feel compassion for them. I realized that all each of us really needs is someone to take the time to listen. Each participant is given a chance to be heard as well as the experience of being a good listener. We lead such busy lives, that many times we forget to connect personally with people. Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, and while that is great in some ways, in other ways it further separates us and takes away precious time we would have spent with each other.
By the end of the third day of training, we had created a wonderful bond of friendship. Many of us experienced great healing, and we left with an abundance of knowledge that we could share in our own lives, both personally and professionally.
We use the Peace Circle model to address underage drinking here at GCASA. Accountability Circles serve youth who are ticketed for underage drinking or break their school’s code of conduct. They provide education regarding the dangers of drinking and drug use. Accountability Circles also allow participants to hear community members explain how they are impacted by underage substance use.
I have had the pleasure of facilitating several Accountability Circles at GCASA beginning in the Summer 0f 2011. I have grown and experienced so much during that time. The majority of youth coming in were ticketed for underage drinking at Darien Lake concerts. Occasionally participants are ticketed for possession of marijuana. Youth are court mandated to attend Accountability Circles. We charge a fee of $50 per person to attend, which funds the program and helps support our prevention programs. Youth are asked to fill out an evaluation form, based on their experience, at the end of the circle. I’m thrilled to share that the majority of participants have responded that they would definitely or maybe change some aspect of their alcohol/drug behavior, in a positive way, as a result of their circle experience. We have received many wonderful comments on those evaluations.
Some of the circle comments from participants were:
“really changes your mind on things, gives you a different outlook on drinking”
“calm and relaxed atmosphere”
“I liked hearing everyone’s stories. You learn about other people and things they have gone through. You realize you’re never alone and that you do have other options.”
“You are a great leader. You change people’s lives”
“good experience and an eye-opener”
“Life-changing”
The training I’ve received at PIRI was life-changing for me as well. It has been my constant guide and inspiration for each circle I facilitate, and I am so thankful for that opportunity.
Sincerely,Lisa Barrett
Prevention Educator
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“You will never know how important this circle has been for me. It feels like a big load has been lifted off my shoulders.”
- Local parent of juvinile offender
Circle Training Sessions.....
How you can get involved:
PiRI is looking for volunteers to fill open positions, including on the Board of Directors. Click here for more information.
Read our newsletter, sign up for emails, spread the word.
Feel free to email us at office@pirirochester.org , we would love to hear from you.
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