NACRJ
NEWS
& BLOG 

Join us in welcoming Faith Watkins to the NACRJ team! Faith comes to NACRJ as a master of social work student at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado. She lives in Austin, Texas where her passion for social justice work was ignited while volunteering for a local syringe exchange outreach program. She has taught Compassionate…

Hi NACRJ Family! My name is Robyn Pratt (she/her) and I am the new NACRJ Event Coordinator! I currently live in Durham, North Carolina where I get the pleasure of being called daughter, sister, god mom, & cousin to many. I come to this role with more than 5 years of event planning experience centered…

New Conference Dates: July 29-August 1, 2024 Due to unforeseen circumstances, and in support of our commitment to ensuring the accessibility and success of the event for attendees, we have made the decision to reschedule (adjust) the conference dates. The conference venue remains unchanged, and it will still be hosted at the Marriott Marquis in…

Since assuming her position in May, Amanda has already had a significant impact. Serving as our primary point of contact for NACRJ members, she aids in the development and navigation of membership accounts, and addresses inquiries from both existing and potential members. Additionally, as an integral part of her role, Amanda provides support to various…

Congratulations to NACRJ Advisory Council Member and Law & Policy Committee Chair Dr. Sandra Pavelka for her recent award for her work with marginalized and underserved youth, including crime survivors. Dr. Pavelka received the Lois Haight Award of Excellence and Innovation from the Congressional Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. As a leader in the juvenile…

We are thrilled to announce our new Board Secretary, Amy Dallas. Amy joined the NACRJ Board in November 2022 and assumed the role of Board Secretary in June 2023. Amy is an attorney passionate about expanding restorative approaches to addressing conflict and harm instead of traditional over-reliance on legal systems. In her full time work,…

Check out this timely 2020 article from Truthout, “Confronting White Supremacy Can’t Come Through Top-Down ‘Justice’.” Co-authored by NACRJ Founding Board Member Dr. Fania Davis (pictured left) and current Board President Dr. Teiahsha Bankhead, this article discusses the role of reconciliation processes based in restorative justice in reducing harm and violence in our society, often…

NACRJ Board Member Thalia González recently served as teaching faculty for the first-ever course on Restorative Justice at The National Judicial College in July. In this 4-day course, Professor González taught judges from across the country about the history, current use and future of restorative justice in the United States. The course provided judges with…

NACRJ Board President Dr. Teiahsha Bankhead was recently interviewed in an episode of the NPR Throughline podcast. This episode, entitled “The Way Back,” dives into the history of public apologies and how, for many, an apology in the public eye has lost meaning and is often seen as a “product” instead of a genuine healing…

Dr. Schiff served on the NACRJ Board of Directors from 2013-2022, and served in the elected role of Vice President from 2017-2022. She is presently an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. “Dr. Schiff was selected to receive this international…