Communication is key to success. Most of us believe this—and yet, in real life, communication often breaks down. Stress, fear, power dynamics, past harm, and unspoken needs can all get in the way of being heard or understood.
We see this everywhere: in families, workplaces, schools, and communities. When communication fractures, relationships strain, respect erodes, and people get stuck. Our work focuses on helping people reconnect—to themselves, to one another, and to the shared purpose that brought them together in the first place.
At Restorative Justice Institute, we create practical tools, learning spaces, and facilitated processes that support honest conversation, shared understanding, and forward movement. When breakdowns occur, our facilitation is aimed at restoration—supporting people to name what’s happened, understand impact, and work toward meaningful forward motion.
We help people build skills to navigate conflict and foster environments where everyone can thrive.
OUR MISSION is to support growth and capacity within the restorative practices field, to strengthen the work and community of practice, to address the root causes of injustice.
Restorative justice is for everyone
Our work begins with an invitation to engage—to explore what’s working, name what isn’t, and build pathways forward together. We believe people already carry deep relational wisdom. Our role is to help surface it, strengthen it, and put it to use in real-life situations.
At its core, restorative justice brings us back into right relationship—with ourselves, with one another, and with the communities we belong to. We focus on clear, honest communication and shared responsibility, especially when things feel stuck or “just not working.”
Conflict can disrupt our ability to listen, connect, and collaborate. Restorative practice supports the nervous system’s capacity to re-engage and move forward together. This is practical, human work—grounded in everyday experience, not abstract theory.
Our approach draws from long-standing relational and community-based justice traditions, alongside contemporary trauma-informed practice and the science of human connection. We bring these together in ways that are accessible and embodied, so restorative practice lives in bodies, relationships, and systems—not just ideas.
Our trainings and facilitation are designed to remove barriers to access. We prioritize simplicity, clarity, personal choice, and lived practice—offering tools that can be felt, practiced, and carried into real relationships.
We recognize that systems of domination, inequity, and exclusion create deep fractures in relationships and communities.
Our work is rooted in challenging those systems and cultivating cultures of belonging—where all people can participate with dignity, safety, and voice. We approach restorative justice as both a relational practice and a pathway toward collective liberation.
Founded in 2011 as the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine, RJI began as a think tank focused on strengthening restorative practice through training, education, and community partnership.
Over the past 15 years, we have supported hundreds of individuals, organizations, and communities through training, facilitation, and consultation. Our work spans education, criminal justice, faith communities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, partnering with people at all levels—from frontline practitioners to organizational leaders—to build the skills and confidence needed to navigate conflict with integrity.
As interest and demand have grown, our work has expanded beyond state boundaries, connecting us with practitioners, organizations, and leaders across the country seeking rigorous, values-aligned restorative learning and consultation.
Today, as the Restorative Justice Institute, we support people and communities wherever our work is needed, while remaining rooted in Maine and the Greater New England region. Our evolution reflects a natural growth—not a departure from our origins, but a deepening commitment to field-building, thought leadership, and practical tools that meet the real needs of diverse communities and systems.
Human Dignity
The inherent right of all people to be and become.
Equity & Accountability
Naming bias, taking responsibility for actions, and centering the voices of those most impacted.
Courage & Truth
Meeting difficult moments with honesty, clarity, and integrity.
Nonviolence & Non-Retaliation
Committing to communication, accountability, and repair over violence, coercion, or retaliation.
Sharing Power
Protecting personal agency and pursuing collective liberation.
Belonging & Flourishing
Creating spaces where people feel supported and connected.
Conflict transformation
Approaching conflict as a doorway to understanding and change.
Building Capacity for Possibility & Imagination
Opening space for creativity, growth, and new paths forward.
Our work is grounded in relational, trauma-informed, and systemic frameworks.
We understand that conflict does not arise in a vacuum. It is shaped by power, inequity, exclusion, and historical harm. Effective restorative practice must be able to hold that complexity with care and clarity—without losing sight of the human beings involved.
We integrate insights from:
This approach allows us to support not only conflict transformation, but also facilitate meaningful upstream shifts in culture, policy, and structure—so long-term peace can be built.
