Brandeis students spending Spring Break in Belize to learn about restorative justice

A group of Brandeis School of Law students are spending their spring break in Belize with Dean Susan Duncan as part of the University of Louisville's International Service Learning Program.

While there, the law students are taking a course on restorative justice and whether it meets the needs of this population better than more traditional models of punishment when addressing conflict. The ISLP mission, taken from "The World is Our Classroom," by Neal Rosenblatt, Ruth O'Bryan and Juanita Morales, states:

"The ISLP will provide culturally and politically sensitive academic excellence and leadership as it helps students gain critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills. Students will learn to approach issues from a global perspective through an exchange of information, ideas, projects, and people; the dissemination and application of knowledge; and an enhanced sense of global responsibility."

Dean Duncan's course goal is to "familiarize participants with restorative justice practices used in the criminal system and in schools. In addition, this course will examine the role of interdisciplinary work teams."

As outlined in Dean Duncan's syllabus, by the conclusion of the Restorative Justice course, each student will:

• Articulate the philosophical and historical underpinnings of the restorative justice movement.
• Identify the impact of crime and of our criminal justice system on victims and communities as well as impact of school disciplinary procedures.
• Differentiate between the various restorative justice procedures and techniques utilized by different groups.
• Analyze the impact that restorative justice processes can have on offenders who are appropriately held accountable for their crimes and on school aged children for violations of school policies.
• Describe the empowering and healing nature of restorative justice on victims/survivors who want to participate.
• Facilitate restorative practices with school aged children.
• Possess the skills to apply restorative techniques in his or her own personal and professional relationships.
• Communicate and interact with interdisciplinary educational and health care providers nationally and internationally to determine the effects of philosophical/cultural differences.

Pictured are: Katherine Vail, Katherine Hall, Ryan Maxwell and Megan Conroy.