On Restorative Justice / Shailly Agnihotri

Architecture Off-Centre

I had no idea what restorative justice was up until two years ago. It was naïve of me to think that justice was always “served” in the courts of law – buildings with high plinths, long walkways and large rooms with the typical setup that we see on screen. And because I did not think it was possible to create spaces for conflict resolution and reconciliation outside of the courts, the first time I saw circle work being done within the restorative justice method, I was surprised by the candidness and vulnerability of the circle participants and how deeply satisfying the process was.

Shailly Agnihotri, is the founder of The Restorative Centre in New York, which she started in response to the heartbreak she experienced as a public defender trying to attain justice for her clients. Shailly has spent more than 20 years as an attorney, with expertise in criminal justice through working as a prosecutor in the Orleans Parish, teaching at the Georgetown Law School and Southern University Law Center, and as a public defender in New York City.

The Restorative Centre: https://www.therestorativecenter.org/

And their podcast Justice Reimagined: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Q3GHAY2Q9OAsrDyfPlVXy?nd=1&si=BInbeZ_SR4WZGypjF4hz2g