Restorative justice is a set of principles and processes that repair injustice, tailor accountability, decrease further harm, and strengthen community connections. It is a relational approach to accountability, offering a dignity-centered path to repair injustices that have occurred, and also inviting us to imagine living together more justly. The Hub is committed to supporting both kinds of work— the transformation of harms that have occurred and the exploration of values and norms to prevent other harms going forward.

In the summer of 2022, a small group of local restorative justice practitioners (Susan Sharpe, Darryl Heller, Stuart Greene, Kathe Streeter, and Dalila Huerta) officially incorporated the Restorative Justice Collaborative Hub after a decade of leading restorative justice training in South Bend and countless hours of discussion and discernment. Our work has progressed slowly and intentionally, with our first two years devoted to our own professional development, community consultations, and strategic planning to lay the strongest foundation possible for our new organization.

The Hub’s work challenges the conventional assumption that justice requires punishment. Through our accompaniment, educational, and advocacy efforts, we help community members reimagine what justice means, recognize ways they can help create, access, and sustain that reimagined justice, and reclaim ancient paths to accountability that honor dignity and build responsibility.