Healing Harms Restoring Community 

  • April 16, 2025 
  • Time: TBD 
  • Russell Sage College, Albany Campus 

Guest Speaker: Marlee Liss, award winning speaker on Restorative Justice, Somatic Healing, and LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Consent 

Open to the public 

Save the Date, registration form to come 

Tentative Session Topics:

In 2019, Marlee’s sexual assault case became the first in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts. She fought for the man who roped her to go to therapy instead of criminal trial and eventually, they met in an eight-hour restorative circle. After sharing with the media, she began receiving thousands of messages from survivors who shared their stories and the many reasons they wished they had known about Restorative Justice. Marlee takes a vulnerable and educational approach to talking about this alternative to the punitive system. In an environment rooted in hope and empowerment, listeners learn about breaking cycles of harm while challenging the notion of a “One size fits all’ approach to justice. 

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Define Restorative Justice and illustrate its principles of trauma-informed care, needs-based communication and survivor-centred practice
  • Analyze the ways in which a punitive framework may impede survivor’s capacity to reclaim agency, boundaries, justice and consent
  • Describe diverse and intersectional justice options for survivors which recognize that people who experience harm are not a monolith
  • Build a vision of justice that is synonymous with healing thereby lessening the likelihood of secondary victimization

This is a 1.5 hour interactive training recommended and previously delivered for: Faculty members, title IX offices, lawyers, judges, government officials, police, security, nurses, public health workers, educators and more.

In part 1, participants will: A) Hear a first-hand account of Restorative Justice after sexual harm and its comparison to the criminal legal system, B) Learn to distinguish between restorative and punitive processes, c) Learn the roots of Restorative Justice in pre-colonial societies, D) Engage in group discussion around the most common misperceptions and biases against Restorative Justice. le. ‘Is Restorative Justice too soft on crime?’, ‘What about public safety?’, ‘What if the perpetrator doesn’t take accountability?’ and ‘Do survivors really want Restorative Justice?’

In part 2, participants will: A) Examine trauma-informed practices to support survivors navigating diverse experiences of justice, B) Reflect on their own relationship to accountability and potential carceral bias, c) Learn somatic skills to support victim’s regulation and to safeguard triggers when responding to harm, D) Learn to apply a needs-based approach to communication in order to embody principles of consent.

Restorative justice can play a significant role in addressing hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals by focusing on healing, accountability, and community restoration. The dynamic in these crimes can change depending on the victim being an adult versus youth. This training will demonstrate the role of restorative justice as it pertains to hate crimes directed toward youth and adults within the LGBTQ+ community

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Articulate two ways in which hate crimes impact the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Recognize two ways in which hate crimes impact LGBTQ+ youth and adults.
  • Brainstorm two ways offenders can be held accountable for hate crimes committed against LGBTQ+ people.
  • Identify three community supports for LGBTQ+ individuals who have experienced hate crimes.
  • Discuss two ways to prevent re-victimization for youth and adults LGBTQ+ victims.

Restorative Practices are not employed only after harm has been caused or a youth charged, penalized or isolated; it is also about intervening in everyday conflicts and building relationships and community to promote a healthy, restorative youth culture. Restorative practices are fundamentally based on a value system that centralizes building relationships, repairing relationships when harm is caused and proactively building community in support of those involved. According to Ted Wachtel, IIRP Past President, “The fundamental hypothesis of restorative practices embodies fair process by asserting that ‘people are happier, more cooperative and productive, and more likely to make positive changes in behavior when those in authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them.'” Imagine systems that engage youth in relationship building, that can prevent harm and centralize the importance of understanding lived trauma experiences and community safety. This workshop is for adults who engage with youth in a variety of settings like education, community services and court systems.

As a result of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Embrace restorative values.
  • Employ a spectrum of restorative practices, both proactively and reactively when harm is caused.
  • Accomplish the goals of restorative practices: accountability, community safety and competency development.
  • Apply the fundamental hypothesis to the policies and procedures within the systems, structures, and agencies within which they engage youth.

This session will discuss the application of restorative justice in higher education settings, with a particular focus on its role in academic medicine at Albany Medical College. Facilitators will share their experiences and insights on incorporating restorative practices in fostering community engagement, developing curricula, supporting faculty growth, and managing classrooms.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Identify key opportunities for implementing restorative justice within educational settings
  • Learn how to leverage restorative practices to cultivate and sustain positive relationships with students
  • Understand the role of restorative justice in faculty development
  • Distinguish between restorative and punitive approaches in educational environments

This session will discuss the potential for restorative justice practices with refugee youth who encounter community-based conflicts. Attendees will hear from youth from the refugee community about how conflicts arise and escalate into street confrontations involving weapons. Speakers will discuss how dangerous situations have been de-escalated using culturally competent versions of relational and restorative values and practices.

This presentation highlights the significance of Restorative Practices as a proactive and inclusive approach to school discipline. By replacing punitive measures with strategies that prioritize accountability, communication, and empathy, these practices reduce disciplinary disparities and help disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Rooted in teaching essential skills like emotional regulation, problem-solving, and relationship-building, Restorative Practices promote a culture shift that benefits all students through a multi-tiered framework.

At the universal level (Tier 1), these practices create a foundation of trust and respect for all children. For students requiring additional support (Tier 2 and Tier 3), targeted interventions address specific needs while fostering personal growth. Beyond the classroom, Restorative Practices empower students as peer mentors and leaders, creating opportunities to build supportive networks and amplify student voices. This session explores the far-reaching impact of restorative approaches, offering a vision for how they cultivate connection, accountability, and lifelong skills.