Restorative justice refers to the core belief that humans are interconnected and that after a harm, justice and accountability occurs when all impacted parties decide what can be done to right a wrong; after such a process, the dignity and humanity of all participants can be restored. Circles are one way to convene the community and practice restorative justice.

Because Circles come from Indigenous people worldwide, Restorative Houston acknowledges that we cannot do this work without naming the harms of genocide and theft perpetrated against Indigenous people. We recognize that the land upon which we live was originally inhabited by the Karankawa, Atakapa-Ishak, Akokisa and Sana peoples. We also acknowledge the need to address all of America’s sins, including the enslavement of Indigenous peoples from Africa. Restorative justice must be used to right historical wrongs if true healing can take place in our society.