Restorative Arlington
Welcome to Restorative Arlington
We are dedicated to bringing restorative justice practices to Arlington County’s legal system, schools, and the community. What started as a grassroots initiative to build community and respond to local needs in January 2020, has now evolved into our own community based restorative justice practices nonprofit, Restorative Arlington!
We create connection, belonging, and safety for all community members. We:
• Build capacity to implement and use restorative practices by providing knowledge, space, and tools
• Strengthen our community through practices that build mutual understanding among people
• Empower people who have been harmed to exercise their voice and choice
• Promote healing, accountability, repair and restoration
• Create space for all people to meet their needs with dignity, compassion, and courage
Restorative Justice is the process of involving those who have a stake in a specific offense and collectively identify and address harms, needs, and obligations, in order to heal and put things as right as possible. These processes range from proactive peacebuilding circles designed to build relationships and prevent conflict to responsive conflict resolution processes that can repair and resolve harm from complex, systemic, multi-generational, multi-party conflict. Check out our infographic for more information.
Restorative practices have their origin in indigenous knowledge. They offer community members powerful tools to create and strengthen the connections and sense of belonging that weave our relationships, families, neighborhoods, and organizations together. Circles and Conference processes are commonly used by:
Neighborhood groups
Schools
Workplaces
Faith-based organizations
Recreation centers
Service providers
Advocacy groups and people in many other settings can learn and use restorative circle and conferencing processes.
The dignity, mutual caring, and inclusion that people experience through these practices deepens understanding across differences, leading to greater harmony and reduced conflict. See this video for more.
Circles are a foundational restorative justice practice.
Circle training is often the first step in becoming a restorative justice practitioner. Our new five-day Circle Training prepares people to be community-building circle keepers who are grounded in an understanding of the history of the restorative justice movement and its roots in Indigenous teachings. The training offers an opportunity to develop restorative practices, knowledge, and skills related to power sharing in the context of historical and structural harms. Participants also cultivate somatic self-awareness and reflective practice.
Sign up using our interest form below to learn more about upcoming Circle Training opportunities.
Restorative Justice Conferencing
Restorative Justice Conferencing is a data supported and effective process for exploring harm and creating opportunities for healing and repair that honors the dignity of all parties. Facilitators work separately with people harmed and people responsible to explore what happened, why, and how to move forward in practical ways that are centered around choice, agency, and need. Restorative Arlington’s Heart of Safety Restorative Justice Conferencing Program accepts eligible felony and serious misdemeanor cases for diversion into a community-held, strengths based, trauma-informed process. Referrals come from prosecutors offices in Arlington County and the City of Falls Church.
We are designing a program to accept requests for restorative justice direct from community members and organizations. This program, Restorative Pathways will offer healing and accountability for people affected by domestic violence and sexual harm. Sign up for our mailing list to learn more about this work in 2026.
Be part of the solution
If you are interested in becoming involved:
Sign up for more information about Circle Training
Learn more from recommended videos, articles, books and audio files in our communication kit
Read the Restorative Arlington Strategic Plan
Connect with us: info@restorativearlington.org
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