Amplify RJ (Restorative Justice)

Send us Fan Mail Shadeequa Smith has dedicated her career to studying the criminal justice system and understanding its impact on individuals, families, and communities. Her efforts are informed by her work with organizations that improve the transition from incarceration into the community. She has experience in problem solving courts, the U.S. Probation Office, and, most recently, as the directo...

Send us Fan Mail Jasmyn “Jazz” Story is an international Restorative Justice Facilitator, Doula, and the founder of The People’s Coalition and Freedom Farm Azul . Named one of Vice’s 31 Women Making History by Creating a Better Future , they are a dedicated human rights activist with a decade of experience working in the voluntary sector. You will meet Jazz (1:55), learn how they got started (16:0...

Send us Fan Mail Sheryl R. Wilson has been a practitioner, trainer and educator in restorative justice for over fifteen years and has had the honor of working with individuals from around the world in her practice. You will meet Sheryl (2:22), hear about her personal work in cases (8:50), and hear the importance of naming harm (18:30). She also discussed equity in opportunity (24:17), whiteness in...

Send us Fan Mail Patricia “Paz” Zamora is an artist, former director of the Boys and Girl’s club in San Francisco, and was a leader in the Chicago restorative justice movement.  In this episode, you will meet Paz (2:21), her experience in restorative justice (5:23), and the transition from restorative justice in the criminal legal system to the integration of those practices in schools (18:30). Sh...

Send us Fan Mail Gilbert Salazar is an educator, focusing on anger management, sexual assault prevention and healthy relationship building, conflict transformation, and social emotional learning. He uses theater and ritual work for violence prevention with young men. You will meet Gilbert (2:42), hear how he got started and his interest in storytelling (4:48), learn about his contributions to Colo...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Abdul-Malik Muhammad has been a grassroots organizer and activist for marginalized communities for nearly twenty-five years. He has focused on the development of Black boys to men, establishing a progressive pedagogy for oppressed youth and building progressive organizations. He has founded two organizations, Akoben LLC and Transforming Lives Inc., as vehicles to “transform li...

Send us Fan Mail Belinda Dulin began her employment with The Dispute Resolution Center 2003 as the Mediation Services Coordinator and assisted in launching the Small Claims Mediation Program and the Domestic Relations Motion Day Program. She has also been a director of mediation services and Executive Director at DRC. In 2013, also under Belinda’s leadership, the DRC partnered with the Peacemaking...

Send us Fan Mail Barbara A. Sherrod is a restorative practices Program director, avid reader, writer and mother of two. Through story-telling circles and transformative coaching, Barbara educates school communities on the use of restorative practices for interpersonal and intrapersonal relationship building; addressing race and gender based-harms perpetuated in school communities. Her website, Mil...

Send us Fan Mail Michelle Armster is African American. She is also the executive director for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Central States in North Newton, KS. She worked for MCC in the US Peace and Justice program in urban peacemaking as the director of Conciliation Services and co-director for the Office on Justice and Peacebuilding. She attended Lancaster Theological Seminary, where she...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Desirée Anderson was born in San Diego, California. The child of naval personnel, she had the pleasure of moving around a lot including living in Belgium where she attended High School. Desiree returned to the U.S. to live in Louisville, Kentucky where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Louisville. Having worked in higher education for...

Send us Fan Mail Amplify RJ community member, "Decolonize Your Classroom" workshop creator, & facilitator of childhood learning learning, Demointé Wesley shares their journey bringing abolitionist mindset and practices to the classroom and beyond! Keep up with/Support Demointé's work on Social: http://instagram.com/decolonizeyourclassroom Check out our Black “HERstory” Reading L...

Send us Fan Mail How does Restorative Justice apply to White Supremacy Culture? Find out in our conversation with Tema Okun. While she's not a "Restorative Justice practitioner" Tema's work around dismantling racism, through naming characteristics and antidotes to white supremacy culture has be deeply influential in the work we're doing with Amplify RJ. If you haven't...

Send us Fan Mail In addition to dropping viral truth bombs online through his instagram @restortingracialjustice, Jorge Santos is a restorative justice coordinator and a special education teacher in Brooklyn, NY. We cover so much in this conversation from his journey from working in criminal justice to stepping into the classroom, the need for doing this work the right way in schools, and if you s...

Send us Fan Mail After years of doing Youth Development work all throughout Chicago, Sandra Sosa is currently a member of the Social Justice and Well-being team with the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Born and raised in the Little Village Community of Chicago, IL, Sandra Sosa’s social justice philosophy and approach to community development weaves ancestral teachings and rites of passage work togethe...

Send us Fan Mail Our first episode of the 2021 is one of the most widely published authors in the field of restorative justice and peacemaking. Kay Pranis is a national leader in restorative justice, specializing in peacemaking Circles. She served as the Restorative Justice Planner for the Minnesota Department of Corrections from 1994 to 2003. Before that, she worked six years as the director of r...

Send us Fan Mail Last episode of the year and it's a great one! Annie Buth is bringing Restorative Justice practices into her work with the Center for Negotiation and Mediation at Northwestern Law School, but she’s has taken a long winding journey to get there!  We'll be back January 6 with a very special episode and we'll be sharing even more amazing conversations in the new year. ...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gaye Lang shares the wisdom she's gained from her decades long career in education from the classroom to advising the White House. She currently works with the Texas Education Agency and is starting to work on bring Restorative Practices to the workplace! She's also a contributing author to Colorizing Restorative Justice: a collection of eighteen essays by Restorativ...

Send us Fan Mail Not only is Richard an amazing human living "This Restorative Justice Life", he's also the first guest here that I didn’t know before the interview. I first learned of him when I heard him talking about the Restorative Justice work he’s doing with Alma Backyard farms on an episode of This Filipino American Life (The OTHER podcast that inspired this one’s title)!  We...

Send us Fan Mail Today's Bonus episode is crossover with the podcast “365 Brothers” with Rahbin Shyne. She is an educator and creative and the podcast interviews Black men about the multiple dimensions of their experiences living in the United States. This episode "I Am Because You Are" aired in October of 2020. Catch more episodes of 365 Brothers and learn more at 365brothers.com ....

Send us Fan Mail When he was young, Shedrick Sanders' wanted to grow up to be the old guy who had so many outrageous stories, that no one would believe him. I’ll let you be the judge of that. He’s only known the words Restorative Justice since the year 2000, but from his childhood in his self described African village on the South Side of Chicago, to classrooms across the world, Shedrick has...

Send us Fan Mail Over the last few decades the Rev. Dr. Robert Spicer has been doing Restorative Justice work in schools, community, THE WHITE HOUSE, and beyond! Contact, Learn More, Support his work: Instagram: http://instagram.com/drraspicer   Business phone #: 312-600-7868 Website: https://www.restorativestrategies.expert/   Connect with us! SUPPORT by sharing this podcast and leaving a rating...

Send us Fan Mail Reuben Roberts currently works with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY), even before he knew the words "Restorative Justice" he's been bringing a restorative perspective to his work with young people in group homes, schools, and more. He also runs monthly webinars for California based restorative justice practitioners to get connected and share resources. C...

Send us Fan Mail Amplify RJ’s own Omi Castro, aka "Omi the Homie", truly embodies what it means to live "This Restorative Justice Life". They share how they got their start in the work from their Buddhist upbringing and how sitting in circle helped them and their family heal from the death of her father. We also get into how Omi has become an intregal part of the work happening...

Send us Fan Mail Pamela Purdie has been creating safe space in circle for 20 years in Chicago and across the country. Join us for a conversation about her experiences in this work! Contact, Learn More, Support: Email Pam: purdie@pbmr.org Contact Precious Blood: pbmr.org or (773) 952-6643 If you're in Chicago sign up for in person, socially distant Circle Keeper training: http://www.cjyi.org/r...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is crossover with the podcast “Do We Know Things” by Dr. Lisa Dawn Hamilton. She is a psychology professor and sex educator and the podcast challenges the thing people think they know about sex. This episode "Rethinking Justice for Sexual Assualt" aired in June of 2020. It features an interview with me (David) breaking down Restorative Justice for he...