“I applaud (Humber College) for being in the vanguard of education in this area that will reap benefits in the justice system in the years ahead.”
- Justice R. Blouin: Ontario Court of Justice

“An alternative system of justice is needed to respond to those (victims’) needs.” - RCMP on Restorative Justice

The Transformative and Restorative Justice program at Humber reflects the views of leading thinkers in the field: restorative justice (RJ) is not a unified subject, nor is it complete - professionals and academics continue to engage in its construction. Thus, instead of passively reflecting on what RJ is, or has been, participants will actively contribute to its future as an evolving social movement.

RJ is an innovative justice strategy which addresses interpersonal conflict through mediation, dialogue, and reconciliation. Victims take an active role in defining the process and offenders are supported in taking responsibility and repairing the harm they caused.

Many believe that RJ is part of a solution to serious issues of prison overpopulation, prison cost, lack of offender accountability, re-victimization of victims by insensitive court proceedings. Still, as a diversionary process, RJ is only part of a larger evolving program of transformative justice which aims to transform communities by connecting individual struggles to overarching structural inequities.

This pioneering program leads participants through a critical exploration of restorative justice and the criminal justice system. The depth, scope, and sophistication of this inquiry is profoundly unique among certificates of this kind and will give graduates a compassionate edge in the professional field.

We also focus on practical skill building through participatory education and participant led class structures. Guided by RJ values and principles, students will master facilitation skills which can be exported across a gamut of RJ programs (victim offender mediation, circle facilitation, crime prevention etc.) and professional fields (education, corrections, community building etc.).

RJ practitioners are becoming increasingly valued agents of social transformation by bringing their value based knowledge, and practical skills into any professional or personal field where justice is a concern. At Humber, we go beyond conventional approaches to emphasize the transformative component of this increasingly popular model. By participating in the social movement of transformative justice, you are not just changing with the times, you are changing the times.