The International Institute for Restorative Practices Graduate School (IIRP), based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...

, is dedicated to the advanced education of professionals at the graduate level and to the conduct of research that can develop the growing field of restorative practices

Restorative practices

Restorative practices is a new field of study that integrates developments from a variety of disciplines and fields—including education, psychology, social work, criminology, sociology, organizational development—in order to build healthy communities, increase social capital, decrease crime and...

 

History

The International Institute for Restorative Practices Graduate School grew out of the experience of the Community Service Foundation and Buxmont Academy (CSF Buxmont), two Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations that have been providing education, counseling, residential and other services for troubled youth and their families in south eastern Pennsylvania since 1977.

In 1994 the strategies employed by CSF Buxmont were significantly influenced by a practice developed in New Zealand and Australia, originally called Family Group Conference

Family Group Conference

Family Group Conferences originated in New Zealand. They were originally used to allow social work practice to work with and not against Maori values and culture...

, and by the criminal justice reform movement that began in North America called restorative justice

Restorative justice

Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims, offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender...

. CSF Buxmont integrated those practices and philosophies into their own programs and then developed educational programs, websites, international conferences and publications in support of an emerging discipline that came to be known as restorative practices.

CSF Buxmont advanced the new field of restorative practices through the 1990s. In 1999 it decided to create a specialized scientific and educational institution to foster the development of restorative practices. The International Institute for Restorative Practices was incorporated in 2000 as a nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania. It received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to become a specialized graduate degree-granting institution in 2006. In 2011, the IIRP was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Degree Offerings

The IIRP offers two master’s degrees: the Master of Restorative Practices and Education (MRPE) and the Master of Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling (MRPYC). Both programs are 30 credits and share a core curriculum. The IIRP also offers an 18-credit Graduate Certificate in Restorative Practices.

Students

IIRP students include teachers, school counselors, social workers, youth counselors, school administrators, nurses, criminal justice professionals, clergy, nonprofit administrators, restorative justice professionals, management and other adult learners

Philosophy

The underlying premise of restorative practices is simple: that human beings are happier, more productive and cooperative, and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them. Punitive and authoritarian “to” styles or permissive and paternalistic “for” styles are not as effective as restorative and authoritative “with” styles — which encourage democratic participation and responsive leadership. Restorative practices have implications for education, counseling, parenting, social work, criminal justice, organizational management and regulating or managing any social phenomenon.

Continuing Education

The IIRP’s Continuing Education Division provides restorative practices training, consulting and educational materials throughout the world. The IIRP and its related organizations have trained thousands of individuals since its inception as the Real Justice program in 1995. There are four programs:

• The SaferSanerSchools program works with schools to improve school culture, decrease disruptive behavior and conflict and help students take responsibility for their behavior and academic performance.

• The Real Justice program works with police, probation and corrections to improve services for the three “customers” of the justice system: victims, offenders and the community.

• Family Power works with social workers, treatment providers and others to improve family engagement and help young people make positive changes in their behavior.

• Good Company works with managers and organizational leaders to improve organizational culture and morale.

Educational Resources

The IIRP has produced educational materials, books and videos, illustrating the theory and processes of restorative practices.

International Conferences

The IIRP has sponsored 14 world conferences on restorative practices since 1998 for professionals in education, criminal justice, social services and other fields, who are engaging in implementation and research in restorative practices. The 2011 IIRP World Conference, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was attended by more than 500 participants.