Champaign community discusses restorative justice

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Restorative justice talks may look like conversations with people just sitting around. But some believe these discussions might just lead to changing the Champaign community for the better.

“Conversations about what if they could imagine Champaign County as a place that was healing, equitable, where everybody had a place where they could be become and belong,” Karen Simms, the founding director of Trauma Resiliency Initiative, said.

Simms said Monday’s meeting was all about trust, commitment and resiliency. Those talks introduce those points of change like building dialogue through different communities, to even lowering the level of crime in the area.

“Just sort of thinking that we can kind of incarcerate our way out of conflict or separate our way of conflict is just not useful,” Simms said.

She said those points of change might even lower the level of crime in the area. Simms said the baseline for forming a strong community all starts with the conversation.

“It actually reduces recidivism, improves discipline in schools. It is the pathway for it. We just don’t commit to doing it,” the founding director said.

These talks, although just an hour or two long, are a way to encourage having difficult conversations to better understand those around you.

More restorative justice meetings are planned in the future. More information can be found on Trauma and Resilience Initiative’s website.

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