In 2022 CEJC received a grant from the van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation to produce a 4-part webinar series on Restorative Justice. More information, including links to the recordings of these webinars and a Toolkit page can be found below.
"Exploring Restorative Approaches to Elder Justice" Webinar Series
Justice is a broad concept. While it encompasses formal justice systems, in its broadest sense, justice refers to basic concepts of fairness in human relations—balance, equity, fair exchange, harmony, and equal treatment. Justice provides guideposts for living together in peace with dignity and respect for one another and the environment. It guides our response to harms, inequities, and injustices. Justice also encompasses how our institutions relate to us in respectful, constructive, and unbiased ways.
Elder abuse is a violation of relationships that has largely been addressed through the criminal and civil justice systems. These systems are essentially adversarial, with advocates for opposing parties vigorously arguing their parties’ cases before objective judges or juries who determine the truth and pass judgment. While effective in some abuse cases, this approach is not acceptable to many older adults who fear losing their relationships with family members or others they rely on or hope to reconcile with. This disconnect is leading more advocates to explore alternatives.
Restorative justice is an alternative that provides opportunities for change and healing among all those who are affected by crime and conflict. Rather than depending on courts, it enlists families and communities to provide opportunities for truth-telling, change, and healing.
This 4-Webinar series, made possible by a grant from the van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation, and co-sponsored by the Institute on Aging (IOA), the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC), the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative (NIEJI) at the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota, and the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), builds awareness about restorative options for older adults. It further aims to promote safe, just, equitable and sustainable practices, communities, and institutions.
The webinar series included the following sessions:
#1: Syracuse, NY's "Long Game" for Adopting Restorative Approaches to Elder Abuse (January 26, 2022)
In 2016, a small group of Syracuse, New York service providers and researchers gathered to explore restorative justice approaches to elder abuse. Recognizing the challenges they faced, the group developed “the long game,” which began with a qualitative research project to evaluate service providers’ perceptions of using RJ in this context. They went on to explore RJ approaches to elder abuse around the world, which resulted in an article analyzing existing efforts and offering recommendations and a conference that brought together leaders of the RJ and elder abuse movement to share models and expertise. The presenters will discuss their research, tentative conclusions, and their “eCORE Project,” which offers community building and conflict resolution circles to seniors.
Presenters included:
• Maria Brown, Assistant Research Professor, School of Social Work and Aging Studies Institute, Syracuse University Falk College
• Mary Helen McNeal, Professor and Director, Elder and Health Law Clinic, Syracuse University College of Law
#2: A Circle Approach to Healing the Harm of Financial Exploitation (February 16, 2022)
The Waterloo Restorative Justice Elder Abuse Project, developed over two decades ago, remains one of the few programs of its kind serving older adults. Attendees to this session will preview a video depicting how the Waterloo program uses a peacemaking circle to reduce the harm to family relationships following financial elder abuse. The video’s producer and circle co-facilitators will discuss the benefits and challenges of applying restorative justice to elder abuse, potential applications and settings in which it can be used, and steps for implementing programs.
Presenters included:
• Eva Marszewski, founder and director of Peacebuilders (Canada), a nonprofit organization that provides restorative programs and services to young people and works towards effecting change in the justice and education systems
• Arlene Groh, retired consultant, Healing Approaches to Elder Abuse Waterloo (Ontario) and founding director of the Community Care Access Centre’s Restorative Justice Approach to Elder Abuse Project
#3: A Cultural Perspective on Restorative Justice (March 30, 2022)
This session highlights traditional tribal practices for responding to elder abuse that are based on a culture of respect and justice for elders, and will explore ways those traditional practices may interface with or inform restorative approaches in mainstream institutions.
Panelists included:
- Jacqueline Gray (ret.), Research Associate Professor, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, and principal investigator, National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative (NIEJI) at the Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota
- Wendelin Hume, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Dakota)
- Kay Pranis, national leader in restorative justice and author of multiple books, including the Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking
#4: Restorative Justice / Elder Abuse Prevention Showcase (April 19, 2022)
This session highlights restorative practices and approaches that are being applied to prevent elder abuse by local communities and tribes.
Panelists included:
- Mike Payne, Detective Constable, Special Victims Unit and Senior Support Team, Waterloo Regional Police Service
- Margaret Carson, Program Manager, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Adult Protective Services Program
- Maylynn Riding In, Graduate Research Assistant, National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative (NIEJI), and the Health Policy Research Scholar, Public Health Education, University of North Dakota
Restorative Justice Toolkit
Also included in the Restorative Justice Project was the creation of the CEJC Restorative Justice Toolkit page which includes many resources, articles and reports on the topic.
Also included in the Restorative Justice Project was the creation of the CEJC Restorative Justice Toolkit page which includes many resources, articles and reports on the topic.
Additional Dissemination Activities
- Restorative Justice and Healing for People Affected by Elder Abuse (May 2022)
Workshop at “Catalysing Change Week,” an event sponsored by Catalyst 2030, “a global movement of social change innovators.” Co-presenters were Arlene Groh, consultant and founding director of the Community Care Access Centre’s Restorative Justice Approach to Elder Abuse Project (Waterloo, Ontario), and Eva Marszewski, director of Peacebuilders (Canada). (May 10, 2022). - Exploring Restorative Justice Approaches to Prevent Elder Abuse. (Chicago, July 8, 2022)
Workshop at the 8th National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) Conference. The session was co-led by CEJC Executive Director Lisa Nerenberg and Kay Pranis, international leader in restorative justice and author of multiple books, including the seminal Little Book Of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach To Peacemaking