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RJIOK believes every harm has a historical and systemic root to it. Therefore, we center individuals most impacted by the system, work with community members to create new possibilities, and advocate for change that shifts power.
The school-to-prison pipeline refers to a disturbing trend where students, particularly those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, are pushed out of schools and funneled into the criminal legal system.
In 2022, RJIOK began a School-to-Prison Pipeline Disruption Project. RJIOK works directly with schools to equip educators with the tools, knowledge, and resources to create safe and supportive educational spaces.
Restorative justice practices are exceptionally impactful in schools because they challenge adults and students to get curious about the unmet needs behind harmful behaviors and fosters conversations that lead to creative solutions. As a byproduct, students are given the communication skills to advocate for their needs and the safe space to lean into their mistakes and learn from them.
In 2021, RJIOK began a pilot program in North Tulsa to help residents secure the skills and resources needed to find restorative alternatives to policing. The program seeks to raise awareness, increase buy-in, equip, train, and demonstrate the effectiveness of restorative justice as an effective community safety strategy.
The program focuses on hyper-policed zip codes 74106, 74110, 74115, 74117, 74126, and 74130 of North Tulsa. These areas of the city experience disproportionately higher policing despite experiencing similar crime rates. This project blossomed from the research done by the Terence Crutcher Foundation and Human Rights Watch.
One of the impacts of being over-policed for so long as a society, is that we believe the criminal legal system is the only way we can address harm and crimes. RJIOK seeks to liberate communities from this false narrative.
If you know of a conflict that needs to be resolved without involving the police or other entities outside of your community, contact RJIOK to request a restorative justice circle.
RJIOK’s uses transformative justice to advocate for systemic change in Oklahoma.
Transformative justice is rooted in the belief that no one enters violence for the first time by committing it. Our society’s punitive systems, cultures, and laws foster a cycle of violence that perpetuates trauma and suffering.
RJIOK believes that real change occurs when the people closest to the harm are centered and heard. Their lived experiences help identify the root causes of violence, and provide a unique opportunity for learning and transformation.
In addition, RJIOK enters the advocacy space to support our partner organizations in creating systemic change in a way that is restorative and addresses the needs and values of all stakeholders.
RJIOK, along with our partner organizations, embrace collaboration and imagination to become true changemakers in our state.
We are founding members of the Advancing Oklahoma Kids (AOK) coalition and the Justice for Oklahoma Youth (JOY) coalition.
Help us build a more restorative society where empathy, forgiveness, and reconciliation guide us towards healing and connection.
Your donation to the Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma supports our efforts to equip individuals and organizations with healing-centered approaches to navigate conflict, repair harm, and cultivate social harmony.