Alabama Restorative Justice Center

11/11/2024

As we work to support veterans, we recognize that the journey home doesn’t end when service does. Today, we honor the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans. At the Alabama Restorative Justice Center, we are grateful for your commitment to protecting our freedoms and for the resilience you’ve shown.

Thank you!

Drop a ♥️ for your Veterans!

11/06/2024

Happy Election Day 🇺🇸

As polls are closing and millions of votes are being counted, we’re reminded of the importance of every voice and the strength that comes from unity.

Restorative justice invites us to listen, seek understanding, and come together to create spaces where everyone feels valued. Today, let’s reflect on how we can work toward a stronger, more connected community for all.

11/05/2024

Make sure you are subscribed to the ALRJC newsletter to stay up to date and informed!

November marks National Restorative Justice Month, a time to celebrate the powerful impact restorative practices have on individuals, families, and communities.

11/01/2024

🌍 It’s National Restorative Justice Month! 🌍

All November, we’re spotlighting the power of
restorative justice to heal, connect, and transform our
communities. Restorative justice goes beyond
traditional approaches—it focuses on:

⭐️ Addressing harm and injustice,
⭐️ Shifting perspectives,
⭐️ Strengthening communities, and
⭐️ Promoting positive outcomes.

Whether you’re curious or committed, join us in
exploring what restorative justice means, why it
matters, and how each of us can play a part. Follow
along for resources, stories, and ways to get involved!

05/23/2024

🎉 A huge congratulations to SPAN students on completing their program today! 🎉

Watching their growth over these past five months has been truly inspiring, and we couldn't be prouder of their achievements.

We are deeply grateful for the SPAN of Lauderdale County program and its ✨exceptional✨ leadership for making this journey possible. It takes a village to nurture success, and our heartfelt thanks go out to the therapists, counselors, mentors, and facilitators who have invested their time and energy into guiding and supporting these remarkable young individuals.

Here's to bright futures and continued success! ⭐️

04/15/2024

Community Building in the park ✨TODAY✨ 530-7pm at McFarland Park!! Don’t forget your blanket, a chair, or a hammock.

04/02/2024

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day 🧩
Here are some things you may not know:

⭐️ Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3
⭐️ 1 in 36 children in the U.S. have autism
⭐️ 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. have autism
⭐️ Boys are nearly 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls
⭐️ Autism prevalence is lower among White children than other racial and ethnic groups
⭐️ Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
⭐️ Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
⭐️ Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key

Source: National Autism Association & Autism Speaks Inc.

04/01/2024

Hello April 🌷
Whether you’re looking for a support circle, curious about awareness days, interested to know what’s going on in the community, or want to volunteer with the ALRJC, we’ve got you covered with our April calendar!

03/21/2024

At the ALRJC, we believe in the power of ✨community collaboration and partnership✨

So grateful for the opportunity to come together with The Jump Mentoring Project to bring the circle process to more youth across the Shoals area!

03/19/2024

Our Teen Girls Circle got together tonight to focus on ✨shared experiences✨

The ways in which trauma shows up in the shared experiences of teen girls can be incredibly isolating, painful, and overall difficult to navigate. But, the circle process allows us to work through our own experiences through the lessons learned (or not yet learned) of others. It makes those big feelings not feel so big.

Highlights of the circle:
⭐️ “I felt like there isn’t an expectation of me to show up here, it is something I can show up as myself and there isn’t pressure. It makes me want to come back.”
⭐️ “I talk about my trauma a lot because it helps me process what I’ve been through. But to know that someone else has experienced similar things, I don’t feel so alone.”
⭐️ “Getting to know other people is scary sometimes but this feels like a safe space to do that.”

03/14/2024

Huge thank you to the Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion for inviting us to join their restorative justice table to inform students about the Inside-Out Program, the Restorative Justice minor, and for bringing awareness to restorative justice and the Alabama Restorative Justice Center! 💜💛

If you are interested in learning more about what you can do as a student or how to get involved with the ALRJC, message us for more information!

03/10/2024

Part of the restorative process is about returning to the teachings. Rupert Ross teaches us:

“Part of the healing process will likely involve searching for ways to deal with the anger, pain, grief, guilt, or other negative feelings that have built up. As long as they remain strong, they can only get in the way of efforts to build healthy relationships” —including the relationship with yourself.

✨Healing = Reconnection✨

Maybe you’ve been feeling disconnected, or maybe you don’t know where to begin healing your wounds. Take any combination of the following, and intentionally reconnect with yourself!

⭐️ Talk about it
⭐️ Cry it out
⭐️ Yell at the top of your lungs
⭐️ Sweat as much as you want
⭐️ Sing as much as you can
⭐️Dance like no one is watching
⭐️Pray/meditate/connect

As you’re planning your week ahead, think of one thing you can do this week to reconnect with yourself!