Restorative justice is a framework for juvenile justice reform that seeks to engage victims, offenders and their families, other citizens, and community groups both as clients of juvenile justice services and as resources in an effective response to youth crime. Restorative justice in schools does not seek to deny consequences for misbehavior.  Instead, it focuses on helping students understand the real harm done by their misbehavior, to take responsibility for the behavior, and to commit to positive change.  It proposes a continuum of discipline measures or choices in education, moving from punishment to consequences to solutions to restoration.  Restorative discipline:

o   Recognizes the purposes of misbehavior

o   Addresses the needs of those harmed

o   Works to put right the harm

o   Aims to improve the future

o   Seeks to heal

o   Uses collaborative processes

CAP throughout its history has provided community building and empowerment services in the communities it works in.  With the codification of restorative justice philosophy into the Illinois Juvenile Court Act 1998 CAP began to implement Restorative Justice Practices in all of its affiliates.  CAP in partnership with Cook County Restorative Justice Collective (CCRJC) has presented restorative Justice approaches for CPS students and school staff.  The instructors in the collective are nationally certified in restorative justice practices, including victim-offender and family group conferencing, community panels and peacemaking circles.  Instructors have conducted restorative peer jury trainings for more than 25 Chicago Public Schools, as well as conducted communications skills workshops for Alternative Schools and CPS Parent Trainings. 

CAP in partnership with CCRJC will continue to provide restorative justice training and support to Chicago Public Schools.