Recommended Viewing

Films

Restorative justice can often be a long and complicated process. Watching other people’s experience helps us to understand why it's beneficial and why people do it. Whether you just need a good film to watch or would like to learn more about restorative justice, this page provides some of the Restorative Justice Center’s favorite media. The following list touch on concepts like forgiveness, remorse, and moving forward. The following are a list of films we love, selected for their unique storytelling and their ability to communicate important ideas on the big screen.

Films on Restorative Justice

Logo of RJOY Oakland

Restorative Justice of Oakland (RJOY)

RJOY's primary goal is to improve the mental health and wellness for underrepresented communities of color using RJ practices. They offer restorative justice trainings to the community that creates community buildings skills and teaching on RJ circle conduction. 

The Ahimsa Collective

The Ahimsa Collective works to support healing, build safety, and challenge punitive practices by  working directly with support-justice based movements through training and technical assistance, opportunities to convene, and grantmaking to organizations doing similar work. Their guiding principle comes from the Sanskrit word, “Ahisma’, meaning non-harm and non-violence. Through many great programs like reentry housing, the Santa Cruz Healing and Justice Center, and grant-making circles, the collective pushes changes by providing alternatives to the harmful systems of punishment.

Logo of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

CURYJ

CURYJ is a youth-led organization in Oakland that's working to heal youth affected by the justice, foster-care, and immigration systems and end youth criminilization. CURYJ highlights the stories of young people directly impacted by system violence, shown by their mantra, “for us, by us”, all of their work is for the repair of their own community.  CURYJ provides far more than services. The program works to disrupt and permanently change the systems that criminalize youth so that the communities can regain control over what safety looks like for them.

Logo of Community Works West

Community Works West

Community Works West is a nonprofit with a goal to disrupt harmful justice systems and transform communities by centering humanity and healing. Their primary mission is to cut incarceration rates and recidivism rates. They do so through programs centered in RJ – working with kids of incarcerated parents, supporting adults leaving incarceration with wrap-around services, and translating direct service insights into advocacy and transformation efforts. CWW uplifts communities by creating alternatives to punitive measures and creates spaces where people that are impacted by incarceration can heal, lead, and change systems rather than be destroyed by their effects.

Logo of RYSE

RYSE

The RYSE Center, in Richmond, is a youth led organization that creates safe spaces grounded in RJ to uplift the youth, teaching them to love, learn, educate, heal and transform their lives and communities. RYSE offers integrated support covering integral aspects of communities like health, education, and economic justice. RYSE aims to dismantle punitive models of punishment and change the lives of the youth, turning them into leaders through healing and collective transformation. 

Barnard Films on Accountability

Experts speaking on RJ