Understanding the Anti-Carceral Possibility of School-Based Restorative Justice: A Methodologically Inclusive Systematic Review.

This article systematically reviews 61 peer-reviewed U.S.-based studies on school-based restorative justice (RJ), a philosophical approach to community-building that frames wrongdoing as relational harm rather than rule violation. It finds that RJ is variously defined as a set of practices, a process, or a radical transformative philosophy rooted in Indigenous traditions, with most scholarship positioning RJ as an antidote to the racialized, carceral social control infrastructure of American schools. However, some studies critique RJ's complicity in reinforcing punitive disciplinary systems when implemented superficially or alongside exclusionary practices. The review emphasizes that maximizing RJ's anti-carceral potential requires whole-school cultural change, strong leadership, ongoing training, and authentic student engagement, while cautioning that without a clear abolitionist vision, RJ risks perpetuating existing inequities.