Non-Police Involved RJ: Possibilities for Social Work Education

Background and Purpose: Social workers have an ethical obligation to respond to violence but often lack group facilitation and community problem-solving skills to guide action. Restorative justice (RJ) skills can bridge this gap. Interest in RJ within social work has increased, albeit modestly (Molloy et al., 2022). This paper reports on an evaluation of an 18-hour RJ pilot training for MSW students and staff, delivered in partnership with a Texas-based community organization practicing RJ outside the criminal legal system. The training aimed to assess RJ's acceptability among MSW students and its potential to enhance their future practice.

Methodology: The evaluation used mixed methods, including pre- and post-training surveys with both qualitative and quantitative elements. It also incorporated reflexive art-based assessments, allowing participants to express their well-being, connectedness, and agency through creative mediums like poetry and visual arts, aligning with RJ principles. Data was analyzed in collaboration with the community organization, using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results were integrated through joint displays to produce meta-inferences (Creswell, 2022).

Results: Twenty-two students and two staff members participated in the training. Of the 19 who completed the initial survey, 68% were Hispanic, 79% cisgender women, and 47% LGBQA+. The training was well-received, with significant increases in well-being, connectedness, agency, and RJ knowledge reported. Participants emphasized the importance of integrating RJ principles early in the MSW curriculum and suggested offering specific RJ courses. Over three months, they applied RJ in various settings, including personal relationships and professional environments. Recommendations included incorporating RJ resources, such as readings and podcasts, into the curriculum and promoting RJ-focused research projects.

Implications: Pilot data show strong interest in RJ training among social work students, but the volunteer nature of attendance might reflect a unique sample. It's important to differentiate between police-involved and non-police-involved RJ as student interest in the field grows. Familiarity with active RJ community organizations is vital for training informed practitioners able to ethically integrate RJ in social work at the mezzo level.