The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools

Can an overworked teacher possibly turn an unruly incident with students into an "opportunity for learning, growth, and community-building"? If restorative justice has been able to salvage lives within the world of criminal behavior, why shouldn't its principles be applied in school classrooms and cafeterias? And if our children learn restorative practices early and daily, won't we be building a healthier, more just society? Two educators answer yes, yes, and yes in this new addition to The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding series. They urge a focus on consequences rather than punishment. They insist that relationships-far more than rules-are central to building community, and that community fosters caring and belonging. They put up with no hypocrisy: teachers and administrators must live restorative practices, too. So how does it all work? Stutzman and Amstutz offer applications and models. Among them are class meetings for 5th graders; reintegration of 7th- and 8th- graders who were suspended; circle processes, which offer space for all voices to be heard, and also quiet tensions that are building; and community conferencing when trouble shapes up between students and neighbors. "Discipline that restores is a process to make things as right as possible." This Little Book shows how to get there.

     
     Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz is Director of Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) Office on Crime and Justice. In this capacity, she provides consulting and training for agencies and communities seeking to implement programs of restorative justice which specifically include a Victim Offender Mediation/Conferencing component.
     
     Lorraine has provided technical assistance and consulting for numerous programs throughout the United States. She has worked in the victim offender field since 1984 when she began working in Elkhart, Indiana, the site of the first Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) in the United States.
     
     Lorraine has co-authored the Victim Offender Conferencing in PA’s Juvenile Justice System curriculum, a manual focusing on the application of VOM/C within Pennsylvania, as well as numerous articles. She has served on the international Victim Offender Mediation Association (VOMA) Board and currently serves on the Board of the local victim offender program in Lancaster County, PA. 
     
      Lorraine received her B.S. in Social Work from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA (where she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for 2002), and her Master’s in Social Work from Marywood University, Scranton, PA.