Sudbury District Restorative Justice Réparatrice du District de Sudbury

06/16/2026

Ready for a pop quiz? 🤔📝 Don't worry - if you've been following our page for a while, these shouldn't be too challenging!

06/12/2026

The summer just got a whole lot brighter! ☀️ Please join us in giving a massive welcome to our two newest team members, Zack and Mazzy! They’re joining us as our summer students, bringing fresh energy and serious talent to the table. We are thrilled to have them on board and can’t wait to watch them build their skills and help be positive forces in our community. Welcome to the crew, Zack and Mazzy!

06/11/2026

Today's post is a little different - happy !

Today, we celebrate a fundamental right that belongs to every single child. This year’s global campaign—"Protect play, protect childhood"—shines a vital light on the need to build protective factors for our youth. But what does protecting play actually mean? It means creating safe spaces, fostering deep social connections, and building emotional resilience.

How does this connect to our work here at SDRJ? When youth have the freedom to play, they learn how to navigate relationships, solve conflicts creatively, and feel a true sense of belonging. This connects directly to the heart of Restorative Justice. Restorative justice isn't just about how we respond when things go wrong; it’s about proactively building strong, healthy communities so youth can thrive. Free, unstructured play is where children first learn accountability, empathy, and how to repair harm with their peers. By investing in and protecting play, we are investing in restorative spaces. We are giving youth the tools to communicate, heal, and bond before conflict even arises. When we protect play, we protect childhood. And when we protect childhood, we build a more just, empathetic, and restorative world for our youth💙

To learn more about this day: https://righttoplay.com/en/landing/celebrating-the-international-day-of-play/

06/11/2026

We are so incredibly excited about and proud to be a partnering agency! 🏍️💪

Rick and Heather Osborne, the couple behind , have been helping at-risk youth in steer away from crime and the underbelly, in favour of a career in the trades.

Ozzy's Garage works with high-risk youth, some of whom have experience with the judicial system, to introduce them to and auto mechanic work. The Osbornes approach young people with respect and dignity, and work hard to build trust and relationship, while imbuing them with life skills. So far, their approach has been successful, Mayor Paul Lefebvre and Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent said Tuesday.

During the council meeting, councillors voted unanimously to contribute $75,000 to Ozzy's Garage, to help them sustain their operations.

Read more at thesudburystar(.)com

06/10/2026

There is a powerful, natural synergy between sunshine, vitamin D, and your overall wellness. They form a vital loop that directly impacts how you feel, think, and function every day. But when we look closer, this biological loop teaches us a massive lesson about how we approach justice and heal ourselves and, in turn, our communities.

Here is a brief breakdown of how wellness and restorative justice connect:

The Environment Dictates the Healing: When your skin absorbs sunshine, it synthesizes vitamin D, which boosts your mood, strengthens your immune system, and lowers inflammation. Your body doesn't heal by being punished; it heals when it is given the right environment and resources to thrive.

Addressing the Root Cause: Restorative justice treats harm like a vitamin deficiency. It asks: What fundamental wellness needs—mental, emotional, or environmental—were missing that led to this harm, and how can we fill those needs?

The Interconnected Loop: Restorative justice shifts the focus from purely punitive measures to holistic restoration; creating safe, supportive environments where people can address trauma, regulate, and reintegrate.

Just like our bodies require the natural synergy of sunshine and vitamin D to thrive, we also require the warmth of empathy, dialogue, and wellness to truly heal from conflict. So be sure to get outside and fuel your wellness with the power of sunshine! ☀️

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

Changing the Language of Accountability: Intent VS Impact.

The phrase "that's not what I meant" is one of the most common phrases used during a disagreement. While it is often true, centering a conversation around your intentions can actually cause secondary harm by invalidating the victim's experience.

Restorative justice proposes a paradigm shift in how we approach accountability:

Intent belongs to the person who spoke or acted. It is a statement of their internal perspective.

Impact belongs to the person who experienced the action. It is the reality of their emotional, psychological, or physical state.

Restorative justice operates on the principle that harm is harm, regardless of motivation. If you accidentally spill coffee on someone’s laptop, even if you admit it was an accident and apologize, it doesn’t fix what's been broken. The damage still exists and still requires repair. True accountability means de-centering our ego so we can focus on repair.

06/09/2026

06/04/2026

Today, we had the pleasure of attending the Youth Engagement in Action event, hosted by YouthRex. We joined representatives from various agencies across Northern Ontario, including those from our community and spanning all the way to North Bay and Parry Sound. This workshop powerfully reinforced just how vital youth voices are to our work, highlighting the immense value of bringing young people to the decision-making table.

A standout moment of the day was an insightful team-building activity that challenged us to collaborate. This exercise served as a powerful reminder that we are all pieces of a larger puzzle; it pushed us to step outside our usual frameworks and actively gather different perspectives from peers who may work in entirely different sectors to our own.

The importance of gathering these diverse viewpoints cannot be overstated. When we intentionally listen to varied experiences—whether from a youth advocate in a rural community or a director in a larger urban center—we break down silos and uncover blind spots we might otherwise miss. This collaborative friction doesn't slow us down; it refines our ideas and ensures our strategies are robust and inclusive.

It was deeply inspiring to learn from one another and realize that our work is elevated when we embrace a multitude of voices. Armed with these new insights, we collectively recommit to ensuring that youth remain at the forefront of everything we do here at Sudbury District Restorative Justice.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to Youth REX for hosting this valuable educational session, the incredible speakers, Public Health Sudbury & Districts for putting the event together, and the Rainbow District School Board for generously providing the venue.

Photo credit: | Thriving African Families

06/03/2026

Did you know the human brain doesn’t actually finish developing until around age 25? 🧠👀

Specifically, the frontal lobe—the literal control center for decision-making, impulse control, and understanding consequences—is the last part to cross the finish line.

When a young person makes a mistake, isolation and punishment don't fix a brain that’s still under construction. It just derails their future.

That’s where Restorative justice comes in. True accountability isn’t just about punishment; it’s about repair. Restorative justice bridges the gap that biology leaves behind by focusing on:

- Understanding the root cause of the harm 🔍

- Centering the needs of the victim 🤝

- Giving youth the tools to actually learn, grow, and heal 📈

RJ treats youth as people capable of growth, accountability, and transformation—because they are.🌱✨