Help Not Handcuffs: Restorative Justice

Eric Butler, Lead Trainer and Practitioner, Talking Peace Founder
Eric Butler believes in the power of relationship building as a healing practice. Eric began his career as a domestic violence counselor in New Orleans. After surviving Hurricane Katrina and relocating to Oakland, California, Eric successfully facilitated Grief Circles in response to homicide and extreme violence in area schools as a part of Catholic Charities’ crisis response program. He also worked as a lead mediator with Youth Uprising, where he mediated conflicts on the ground in Oakland neighborhoods and schools. Eric is recognized for his impactful restorative justice work with youth in West Oakland as the School Coordinator at Bunche High School with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY). He went on to found the “Talking Peace” model of Restorative Justice, a set of practices and philosophy aimed at building relationships through shared values.

Judge Wesley Saint Clair, Chair of Commission, Washington Sentencing Guidelines Commission
Judge Wesley Saint Clair is a leader in the field of Restorative Justice. Wesley was appointed to the Northeast Division of the King County District Court in 1991, elected Presiding Judge for King County District Court in 2001 and was appointed to the King County Superior Court by Governor Gary Locke. In 2012, Judge Saint Clair was assigned to the King County Juvenile Court, where he began his relationship with Peacemaking Circles with Peacemaking Circles both in and out of his courtroom. Judge Saint Clair has come to believe the system is better at sentencing people than reducing crime. He asks that we rely less on the power of the justice system, and more on human connection.

Tawanna
As founder of RECOVERY WARRIORZ, CPS, CARES, Veteran, Mother, entrepreneur and humanitarian, Tawanna Jackson, now acknowledges the importance of a solid foundation and community support to sustain an overall better quality of life. Influenced by factors presented in her daily life, Tawanna was led down an avenue that could have tattered her. Being in an environment where many peers and family members were subjected to drugs, incarceration, violence, and economic starvation, Tawanna was compelled to become an agent of change.

Elaina Wright, Senior Coordinator, NAMI Education Team
Prior to working as a team member for the NAMI National Education team, Elaina volunteered her time first, as a member, and then as the chair of the Bucks County Community Accountability Program (Bucks County, PA), a program which serves as an alternative to official court involvement for first time offenders. Serving in those roles for over 10 years, Elaina saw first-hand the impact and intersection of mental health, trauma, socioeconomics, and race within her community. As a mother, Elaina also has first-hand experience of the police and legal systems and their damaging effects on her own family. Elaina is passionate about legal system reform and restorative justice practices that reduce harm and are person and community centered.