Theoretical framework for utilizing Restorative Justice to respond to sociohistorical harms

1. Restorative Justice
&
Race
…A Theoretical Analysis
Jacqueline Roebuck Sakho, Duquesne University
Thursday, March 15, 2012
2012 ACJS Conference
1 March 15, 2012

2. RJ & Race
Theories to frame the discussion
• Critical Legal Theory
• Conard’s“Macrojustice” (Conard 1971)
• Critical Dialogic Approach (Nagda&Gurin,
2007)
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3. Why RJ?
“It is no longer clear that law can produce a
more just society” (Merry 1995 p 12)
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4. Restorative Justice
Frames
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5. RJ Cycle
Respect
Responsibility Relationship
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6. RJ Spectrum
Invitation Critical
to Dialogue Dialogism
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7. Restorative Justice & Race
Theoretical Frameworks
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8. Restorative
Justice
As Critical Legal Theory
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9. Restorative Justice & CLT
• RJ troubles and disrupts accepted norms and
standards in legal theory and practice
• RJ interrogates dimensions of power within
both inter intra relationships
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10. Restorative
Justice
Conard’s “Macrojustice”
Conard, 1971, p. 420)
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11. Why RJ?
“We conceptualize law as more plural
not located entirely in the state. And
we see the “effects” of law in far
broader post-Foucauldian terms.”
(Merry, 1995 p. 12)
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12. Conardian Formula
“Nonomics” Quantitative Aggregative “Macrojustice”
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13. Conardian Formula
Reflection Action
• “Nonomics” • Law in action vs. Law in
books
• Quantitative
• Measuring the
• Aggregative effectiveness of
processes/procedures
• Beyond the impact of the
system on one case but a
number of cases
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14. RJ in Conardian terms…
“Microjustice” “Macrojustice”
• The Law • The Law as “total
consequences” (p. 420)
• The State
• Systemic Social Conflict
• The individual
• Community Impact
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15. Restorative
Justice
A Critical Dialogic Approach
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16. Critical Dialogic
Approach
• Three Components (Nagda&Gurin 2007, p. 36)
• Critical analysis and understanding of
difference and dominance
• Discursive engagement across differences
• Debate  Discussion  Dialogue (p. 37)
• Sustained and conjoint community building
and conflict engagement
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17. Why RJ?
“…the hope for reform has moved to
more bottom-up, small scale
changes.” (Merry, 1995, p. 15)
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18. References
Conard, A. (1971) Macrojustice: A
systematic approach to conflict resolution.
Georgia Law Review, 5(3), 415
Merry, Sally Engle (1994)Resistance and
the cultural power of law. Law & Society
Review, 29 (1) 11
Nagda B.A., Gurin, P. (2007) Intergrouop
dialogue: A critical-dialogic approach to
learning about difference, inequality, and
social justice. 111, 35.
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19. Restorative Justice &
Race
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