Restorative Justice Responses to Domestic Violence in Communities of Color

What a multi-site evaluation revealed about restorative justice responses to domestic violence

For many survivors of domestic violence, available responses are often centered on law enforcement and separation. However, in historically marginalized communities, fear or distrust of law enforcement, language barriers, immigration concerns, and cultural stigma can make these options undesirable and inaccessible. As a result, many survivors may choose not to seek help at all, underscoring the need for safe, accessible, community-based alternatives that allow survivors to seek support and address harm without relying on law enforcement. 

Across California, community organizations are showing what is possible when survivors of domestic violence have more than one path to safety and healing. Through its Breaking the Cycle of Multigenerational Violence initiative, the Blue Shield of California Foundation supported organizations applying restorative practices to domestic violence in communities of color: DeafHope, East Los Angeles Women’s Center (ELAWC), Reclaiming Our Own Transcendence (RooT), and Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY). 

Impact Justice’s independent evaluation of these four organizations sought to document each organization’s restorative practice model, understand how these models work in practice, and assess their impact on safety, healing, and accountability. The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, drawing on staff interviews, learning community convenings, and a survey of participants. The results contribute to a growing body of evidence for restorative approaches as part of a broader continuum of care.

Our findings suggest that restorative practices can be implemented safely and can meaningfully support healing. Ninety-three percent of participants reported that their involvement did not increase their danger, and sixty-five percent reported that their safety improved. Participants also described gaining tools that extended well beyond the program. Eighty-eight percent reported a better understanding of harmful relationship behaviors, and eighty-seven percent applied new communication and boundary-setting skills in other areas of their lives. Accountability emerged as something that can be cultivated over time, and sixty-nine percent of participants reported a sense of resolution to the conflict or harm they experienced. Lastly, participants underscored the impact of these services on their healing journey. Participants described being able to process painful experiences, practice self-compassion, and develop an empowered sense of agency, giving many a renewed sense of hope for their futures. 

While each organization tailors its model to the unique community it serves, all four share a commitment to survivor-centered, culturally rooted practices that treat safety, accountability, and healing as ongoing processes. Participants consistently described peer circles and shared spaces as reducing isolation and rebuilding trust, a further indication that healing happens in community.

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