FRJA Guidelines for Facilitation and Training in Restorative Justice Practices

In 2022 and 2023, FRJA convened a group of Florida-based restorative justice practitioners to co-create guidelines for facilitation of restorative practices, as well as for training for facilitators. The guidelines are below and you can also download a copy of them here.

From the introduction to the Guidelines:
As the name “Guidelines” implies, this document is intended to offer guidance.  It describes what we collectively consider most effective practices, and offers some standards by which newcomers, practitioners, students, potential participants, and the public may gain understanding and trust in these processes.  We hope it also has value for agency representatives, school faculty and administration, elected officials, or anyone else seeking to deepen their sense of these practices.
 
These Guidelines encompass two main parts. The first describes a set of principles and practices that support ethical and effective facilitation of restorative justice processes. These are not designed as strict ethical standards, but as a guide for facilitators doing the work in any number of different contexts, with varying degrees of structure and formality. This section is supplemented by an appendix on Comprehensive Facilitation Skills, which provides a set of communications skills for facilitators to develop. The second part describes recommended training topics for facilitators. We affirm that this training may include formal courses and workshops, but also practical training through involvement in restorative processes. 

This document is not a set of enforceable rules, nor does it reflect mandatory standards set by Florida Statute or adapted from existing codes of conduct for Florida.  There are no current monitoring or enforcement mechanisms except for the self-correcting open communication and transparency which this field traditionally strives toward, and the incentive to cultivate ever healthier connections, communication, and contribution. 

We intend this to be a living document, open to input and revision on a regular basis in collaboration with the community of practitioners in a spirit of shared best interests and solidarity. In future revisions we hope to add specific guidance for practitioners working in particular contexts, such as education, criminal justice, the workplace, communities, families, and mental health. Some of these areas are currently being developed. 

We strongly recommend that you learn by doing the practice—the experience of these practices can be a learning path, as well as a means to resolve concerns and conflicts, including those that may arise in the development and application of a system of restorative practice (or any other system for that matter).  When in doubt, circle up!