Skidmore, ASJA to Collaborate on Oct. 20 Restorative Justice Conference
Skidmore will host a one-day conference on theoretical and practical implications
for restorative justice in campus judicial programs on Friday, Oct. 20.
David Karp, associate professor and chair of Skidmore's Department of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Social Work, and Thom Allena, instructor of criminal justice and
sociology at the University of New Mexico-Taos, will present the program, which will
include an examination of the philosophy and practices of restorative justice, as
well as demonstrations on how to incorporate the approach in campus judicial programs.
Karp and Allena are co-authors of Restorative Justice on the College Campus, published in 2004.
Restorative justice proceedings bring together offenders, victims, and other affected
parties to understand the impact of harmful behavior, facilitate healing, and provide
creative, community solutions to problems on campus. The approach emphasizes educating
community members about civic commitment and builds students' capacity for evaluating
the impact of their behavior on the community. Restorative justice leads to the creation
of due process, consensus around behavioral standards, and equitable responses to
misconduct.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Association for Student Judicial Affairs, Circuit
II, and Skidmore's Office of Student Affairs.
