State officials say a restorative justice pilot project has been successful for Michigan high school students and could be expanded across the state.
The program was piloted in two schools and aimed at intervening to resolve student conflicts with other students or even staff. The incidents ranged from verbal conflicts to minor assaults.
Doug Van Epps is the Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution at the Michigan Supreme Court. He said staff were provided to pilot schools to help mediate disputes.
“What the evaluators found in terms of working with students to resolve their conflicts is they shaved about 340 suspension days off in an individual year at a school.”
Van Epps said the program saw a reduction in suspensions, absences, and even tardies.
“And the process is viewed very favorably by the students. 90% of the students felt they were treated very fairly, had a chance to express themselves and were satisfied with their agreement. 92% said they would use the service again.”
Van Epps said it is important to have a neutral third party sit in on conflicts between students and other students, or even staff.
Overall, he said, the goal is to keep students out of the criminal justice system.
Van Epps said the state is considering expanding the program across more high schools.