Michigan’s first statewide restorative justice summit debuts in Ypsi
More than 200 people attended the first statewide Michigan Restorative Justice Summit Oct. 30-31 at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
More than 200 people attended workshops on healing circles, digital equity in education, and more as part of the first statewide Michigan Restorative Justice Summit Oct. 30-31 at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. The event was organized by the Ann Arbor-based nonprofit Dispute Resolution Center, with local co-sponsorship by Ypsilanti-based nonprofit A Brighter Way.
The event was also co-sponsored by the Detroit Justice Center, Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan, Friends of Restorative Justice, Michigan Council for Youth Justice, and Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration. The summit also received support from the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development. The keynote speaker was social justice activist, civil rights attorney, and author of “The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice,” Fania E. Davis.
Restorative justice practices focus more on repairing harm than on punishing the guilty. The summit’s aim, according to the Dispute Resolution Center’s website, is to “create spaces of dialogue, explore and expand how we practice this work, as well as, disrupting systems of colonization and oppression, building more restorative spaces, advocating for criminal legal reform in our communities, and what the future holds for [restorative justice].”
Adam Grant, executive director of A Brighter Way, says organizers intend for the summit to recur annually. He says he doesn’t have exact attendance numbers but registration was fully booked, and he was pleased with how actively attendees participated.
Grant says he talked to many attendees who were inspired by the summit. He was inspired himself to take a second look at any “retributive” language used in A Brighter Way’s official communications.
“I think it will stick with people for a while, and some people are reaching out already, wanting to talk about what happened, and wanting to work with us,” Grant says.
More information about the summit and about the Dispute Resolution Center can be found here.
Author
Related Articles
Ypsi Township church has fed hundreds in twice-monthly food distributions for nearly 20 years
The food pantry at the Community Family Life Center, 1375 S. Harris Rd. in Ypsilanti Township, has been a family-feeding machine, distributing groceries twice a month to an average 300-400 families.
Washtenaw County officials say local elections are secure despite Trump calls to “nationalize” them
Washtenaw County elections officials say they’re well-prepared to protect against fraud in this year’s midterms and any other election. We interviewed them about their system and President Trump’s statement that elections should be “nationalize[d].”
Recast Leaders aim to revitalize local economies
Ypsilanti and six other Michigan communities are working on building their local economies in the Recast Leaders program. Here’s a look at how the program works.
