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Proving that even the most difficult crimes – homicide – can be treated using restorative justice
Erika Sasson

Winner

Erika Sasson

Proving that even the most difficult crimes – homicide – can be treated using restorative justice
Erika Sasson

Year

2023

Sector

Human Rights

Borough

Brooklyn

Neighborhood

Kensington

Erika uses her background in criminal law to help victims and perpetrators of serious crimes through restorative justice.

Restorative justice (RJ) is a framework for justice centered around repairing harm. It facilitates communication between those affected by a crime and those responsible, and creates a path forward. This approach is not new; it is inspired by many…
Read winner story

Publication

Vox

The criminal justice system is broken. Restorative justice can help fill the gap

By Erika Sasson
September 6, 2023
What was happening in the courtroom that day in New York City was unusual. The judge was set to sentence a young man to prison for shooting a gun and killing a bystander…
Erika Sasson standing under the Manhattan Bridge
Erika Sasson reading a book

Publication

NYN Media

Anatomy of an apology

By Erika Sasson
August 29, 2022
When it comes to politicians or celebrities, I don’t really understand their world. But, like many women over the last five years, I’ve been deeply disappointed by the half-baked apologies that followed the #metoo movement, m…

Podcast

Brooklyn Magazine: The Podcast

The reformer: Erika Sasson on pushing restorative justice into new territory
Brian Braker
November 6, 2023
The American criminal justice system is built on a punitive ideology. It is an ideology that believes criminals deserve punishment and that punishment can change behavior, that criminals will accept responsibility through pun…
Erika Sasson

Update from winner

Restorative Justice Program Update
Erika SassonJuly 10, 2024
Over the past 2+ years, I've been so lucky to work with Violence Intervention Program (VIP)--NYC's only domestic violence agency led by and serving Latinx survivors. VIP has been working hard to create a restorative justice program inside its organization. This program, which is about to be launched, will serve survivors and their families on their terms, so that they can
A stack of books
Some of Erika’s favorite books that inform her practice.

Publication

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

6.5M Allocated to NYC Restorative Justice Programs

By Robert Abruzzese
MOCJ and CUNY ISLG announced a $6.5 million investment in restorative justice (RJ) programs at 16 community-based organizations…
“In our current system we hide a lot of things, and I really wanted to work in something that rewards truth telling and brings people together.⁠”
Erika Sasson
2023 David Prize Winner
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