The Restorative Justice Coordinating Council (RJ Council) is pleased to announce the addition of a new Facilitator Code of Conduct to the set of written Standards the RJ Council has adopted over the years. These foundational documents serve to guide Restorative Justice practitioners, practices, and trainings in various contexts in Colorado. The new document was created by the Restorative Rainbow Alliance (RRA), whose mission is to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion and queer-affirming practices, training, and outreach within the field of Restorative Justice. RRA, which began its formation at a convening of RJ practitioners in Colorado in Fall 2020, presented during the RJ Council’s October 28, 2022 meeting on the background of its work and specific needs that led to the development of the Code. In light of the critical lens provided by the new Code and the way its format aligns with Colorado’s long-standing Restorative Justice Facilitator Code of Conduct – first adopted by the RJ Council over a decade ago – there was a clear consensus by the RJ Council to move forward with formal adoption of the RRA Code.
RRA has also presented the new code to audiences outside of Colorado, including a national conference hosted by the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice in July, with the goal of making the Code available more broadly throughout the U.S. Given Colorado’s history of leadership in the implementation of Restorative Justice practices, the RJ Council hopes its partnership with RRA will contribute to RRA’s efforts to elevate the Code as a key reference for other states, as well as for individual institutions and organizations. Considering the broad applicability of them material included in the new Code, it is also anticipated that its usefulness will grow to extend beyond the Restorative Justice context, to help inform policies and practices for
equitable access and inclusion for LGBTQ+ communities in a wide range of settings.
More information about RRA and its Facilitator Code of Conduct can be found at https://restorativerainbowalliance.org/.
Background on Colorado’s Restorative Justice Coordinating Council, including an archive of its Standards documents, can be found at https://rjcolorado.org/.
