Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth works to interrupt tragic cycles of incarceration, violence, unsafe schools and communities, and wasted lives by promoting a cultural shift toward restorative responses to harm. They actively engage youth, their victims, and their families, schools, and communities in a shared search for ways to repair relationships.

Beginning in 2007, RJOY’s city-funded West Oakland Middle School pilot project eliminated violence and expulsions, and reduced suspension rates by 87%, saving the school thousands in attendance and Title I funding. By May 2008, nearly 20 Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) principals requested training to launch programs at their sites. To date, we have served over 1000 youth in Oakland’s schools. UC Berkeley Law’s Henderson Center for Social Justice evaluated the Middle School pilot and released a study in February 2011. A publication on implementing restorative initiatives in schools produced in collaboration with the Alameda County Health Care Agency is forthcoming. In 2010, the OUSD Board of Directors passed a resolution adopting restorative justice as a system-wide alternative to zero tolerance discipline and as an approach to creating healthier schools