Trauma & the Criminal Legal System (Part 2: Restoration)

Throughout her career, Seema Gajwani has been working to improve criminal and juvenile justice systems across the country, running the Criminal Justice Program at the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C. before entering her current role at the D.C. Office of the Attorney General.

On this week’s episode of TraumaTies, hosts Bridgette Stumpf, Executive Director at NVRDC, and Lindsey Silverberg, Head of Services at NVRDC, talk about restorative justice with Seema, who serves as Special Counsel for Juvenile Justice Reform and Chief of the Restorative Justice Program Section at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia D.C.

This episode digs deep into the practices and principles of restorative justice, the flaws of the current justice system, and how restorative justice is leading to positive, lasting change.

Featured Guest

Name: Seema Gajwani

What she does: Seema is Special Counsel for Juvenile Justice Reform and Chief of the Restorative Justice Program Section at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia D.C. She oversees juvenile justice reform initiatives, focusing on diversion, restorative justice, and improved data collection and analysis. Prior to this, Seema ran the Criminal Justice Program at the Public Welfare Foundation in D.C., funding efforts to improve criminal and juvenile justice systems across the country.

Company: D.C. Office of the Attorney General

Episode Highlights

[4:00] The roots of restorative justice: Restorative justice has a deep and ancient heritage, with principles originating from native indigenous cultures in the Americas, Western Africa, and New Zealand.

[15:19] Restorative justice for all ages: Studies have shown that restorative justice is not just beneficial for younger demographics, but also for adults.

[20:25] Guilt vs. shame: Brené Brown’s research explains that shame aligns with the thought “I am a bad person.” But guilt is productive because it aligns with the thought “I did a bad thing. I’m not a bad person.” However, the core of the justice system is often rooted in shame, criminalization, and isolation — which can lead to more violence.

[24:34] Balancing accountability and empathy: Danielle Sered’s book, Until We Reckon, explains that true accountability is actually taking responsibility for your behavior — which doesn't often happen in our justice system.

[32:14] The juvenile justice system: According to Seema, we’ve lost sight of what we’re trying to accomplish through the system — to help kids learn from their mistakes.

[34:07] Restorative justice is a step toward real transformation: Seema shares a story about how communication between those in a conflict eventually led to a successful restorative justice conference.

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Brought to you by Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma.

Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, NVRDC seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime.

NVRDC also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, case management, and legal services to victims of all crime types in Washington, DC. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.