The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (“SCDAO”) is the law enforcement agency for the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop, Massachusetts. SCDAO is among the busiest district attorney’s offices in New England. 

This project builds on recommendations from a previous project with Harvard’s Dispute Systems Design Clinic and SCDAO. The main objective is to help SCDAO design a structure for effectively delivering restorative justice training, tools, expertise, and capacity to community stakeholders in Suffolk County.  Ideally, the project will help SCDAO to: (a) leverage existing institutional resources and expertise, community relationships, and local enthusiasm for community-based restorative justice, and design a RJ hub/center that is accessible, adaptive, community-centered, and tailored to stakeholder needs; and (b) understand how best to communicate with community partners and other stakeholders about the hub in a way that maximizes community engagement. 

Students will: 

• Assess and reflect on the strengths and gaps in existing training curriculum on the experiential use of restorative justice circle processes; 
• Research models of restorative justice implementation in community settings; 
• Recommend models or best practices for community implementation in Suffolk County; 
• Meet with stakeholders, including among many others the county’s Community Justice Support Centers that support returning citizens; 
• Participate in community RJ circles