Is there a role for restorative justice in addressing public education issues in Mississippi?
Aug 25, 2009
This is in an interdisciplinary seminar, which will be conducted over the course of two semesters, and open to undergraduate honors students, law and graduate students. After a brief introduction into the concept of restorative justice, the first semester will be devoted to the study of existing data and research into other sources in order to gain a full understanding of the history of public education in Mississippi, with emphasis on how the issue of race has informed educational policy and the status of education in Mississippi today.
The second semester will consider potential remedies from a perspective of restorative justice.
The concept of restorative justice has been applied in various circumstances and in different forums nationally and internationally. With regard to the African American population of the United States the injury to be redressed arises out of, but does not end with, the institution of slavery.
The premise of restorative justice is that societal equilibrium cannot be restored unless the community comes to terms with the injustice and commits to efforts at remediation.
- How does the concept of restorative justice apply to the disparity in educational opportunity in Mississippi?
- Is public education an appropriate issue for restorative justice?
- What form might restorative justice take in addressing Mississippi’s educational needs?
