Hope is a Discipline.
We’re nearly halfway through 2025, and our social, cultural, and political landscapes are wild. Grants have been cancelled. Teachers discuss ways to teach critical concepts without using the terms that trigger investigations. Books that tell the truth about our past are being removed from our school’s libraries. Transgender youth and their families are cancelling trips abroad. There are powerful efforts at play to erase people and sow division.
Mariame Kaba coined the idea of hope as a discipline. Mariame reminds us that hope “demands effort in order to thrive.” At RJI, we are practicing the discipline of hope by taking action in large and small ways.
Here are some ways, RJI is practicing the discipline of hope:
We have been sharing our work with people in settings that are new to us. We spoke with staff of a medical school about weaving restorative justice into the curriculum so that students have the opportunity to build foundations of empathy critical to patient care.
We attended the Illinois Humanities Council’s Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening “Our Youth, Our Future,” focused on reimagining the juvenile justice system. Powerful presentations, examples of impressive statewide work, opportunities for connection, and learning about the ways arts and literature can inspire our work to advance justice left us feeling invigorated and hopeful. Thank you to the Illinois Humanities team! Finally, we are proud of RJI board trustee Mikhail Lyubansky who presented, sharing his restorative justice brilliance and unique way of engaging all in getting to the core of what RJ is. There were many takeaways - but if we had to name one, it has to be that we are the only country that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We have work to do!
We have been working to notice the good things - bird song, a stranger returning a lost cell phone, the wisdom of young people, the leaves turning green, and even good news stories in the media (they’re there if you look!)
Speaking of hope…
Shout outs! We’ve been hard at work! Reimagining research
When people think of restorative justice, they often think of repairing conflict and harm in schools and criminal systems. What may be less well-known are the ways that RJ is being used proactively in settings like corporations and hospitals to build community and promote inclusion. Recently, we came across a research article featuring work going on in the pediatric department of a hospital right here in Illinois.
Click on the image to the right to access the study.
Our soundtrack
At RJI, music is more than just a background element—it's a core part of our work. We asked our board trustee, Caryn Curry, to tell us about a song that inspires her:
I’ll Take You There, The Staple Singers
“I’ll Take You There represents vision and hope to me. Its powerfully simple lyrics remind me that change so often begins with a clear vision. The lyric’s plea for help and the promise that ‘I’ll take you there’ also remind me that the change I believe our world needs cannot be achieved alone; community is essential. The song’s melody touches my soul and reminds me of the power of the soul to move me to act. Finally, the song reminds me of movements that have overcome justice and hatred in the past. It helps me to remain hopeful that our humanity will prevail in the face of evil.” - Caryn Curry
Policy corner
Only 3 of the 14 (21%) juvenile detention centers in Illinois meet the minimum standards required to keep youth safe. Locking up youth is expensive ($40 million state dollars for salaries alone). Most importantly, locking up youth doesn’t work - youth are more likely to reoffend even after a short stay in detention.
Here are Illinois companion bills that align with our work to keep youth out of the system (contact your elected representatives and ask them to sign on as sponsors):
IL SB2156 (Sens. Ventura, Guzman, Johnson, Turner, Holmes; Rep. Huynh, Slaughter, Olickal, Guzzardi)
Inspired by Senator Ventura’s trip to Northern Ireland where restorative justice is fully integrated into the juvenile justice system, this bill would create the Children First Task Force task force to study the use and conditions of juvenile detention in the state and make strategic recommendations for systemic improvements.
IL SB1784 (Sens. Peters and Villa; Reps. Slaughter, Guzzardi, Gabel)
A compromise with the Illinois Probation and Court Service Association, this bill would raise the age for detention of a minor from age 10 to age 13 based on a plan for system collaboration to ensure alternatives to detention are available.
Make an impact
Restorative justice efforts across the state are beautifully diverse - some formal, some informal, but often disconnected. To bridge this gap, we’re building a centralized database and listserv of RJ programs, practitioners, and events throughout Illinois. This resource will support peer learning, advocacy, and future convenings.
To make it happen, we hope to hire a paid intern. Please consider supporting RJI and the Embrace RJ Illinois project.