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Restorative Justice is a Way of Being
— not a program or a policy.
Amplify RJ helps leaders, educators, and organizations practice Restorative Justice through training, facilitation, consulting, and practical tools for connection, accountability, and repair.
What is Restorative Justice?
Ask 100 Restorative Justice practitioners and you'll get 100 different answers.
Modern RJ movement founder Howard Zehr says:
Restorative justice is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in an offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs and obligations, in order to heal and put things right as possible.
According to Amplify RJ founder David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris:
"Restorative Justice is a philosophy and set of practices, rooted in Indigenous values of interconnection that emphasize repairing relationships when harm occurs while proactively building & strengthening relationships (rooted in equity and trust) to prevent future harm."
What is Amplify RJ?
Amplify RJ helps people and institutions move beyond punishment, avoidance, and disconnection by cultivating restorative ways of being.
Our work is rooted in the belief that conflict is inevitable, but harm does not have to define us. We can use restorative justice practices, to build stronger relationships, navigate accountability with care, and create communities where people feel seen, valued, and responsible to one another.
We partner with schools, organizations, and communities through training, consulting, facilitation, coaching, and offer practical restorative justice resources and learning opportunities to individuals.
Our Services
We support educators, organizations, communities, and individuals by providing:
Training & Workshops
Interactive restorative justice learning experiences for schools, organizations, and communities focused on connection, accountability, and culture change.
Coaching & Consulting
Strategic support for leaders, educators, and teams navigating conflict, implementation, communication, and restorative culture building.
Circle Facilitation & Restorative Processes
Restorative circles, conflict processes, dialogue spaces, grief processing, community-building gatherings, and facilitated conversations designed to help people move through difficult moments with care and accountability.
About David
Amplify RJ was founded by David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris — a restorative justice practitioner, educator, and consultant based in Los Angeles.
David didn't come to this work through a training program. He came through watching people get released from incarceration and immediately hit a wall — no job, no support, no path forward. That experience sent him to Loyola University Chicago, where he earned a Master's in Social Justice, trained inside Cook County Jail, and found restorative justice through Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation and Community Justice for Youth.
He's been building Amplify RJ ever since — 181+ podcast episodes, a growing YouTube channel, and a consulting practice working with schools, organizations, and communities across the country.
Our Approach
Restorative justice is not just a non-punitive response to harm.
It is a way of cultivating relationships and communities rooted in accountability, care, and trust.
At Amplify RJ, we approach restorative justice as both proactive and responsive:
- Building strong relationships before conflict occurs
- Developing shared agreements and collective care
- Creating spaces where people can communicate honestly
- Supporting accountability without humiliation
- Repairing harm while honoring boundaries and consent
- Understanding how power, oppression, and systemic inequities shape relationships and institutions
Our work is deeply influenced by Indigenous values of interconnection and grounded in anti-oppressive practice.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR APPROACH
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