Values Governing Recess Accountability Processes

Values Governing Recess Accountability Processes

  1. We aim to have a survivor "centered" process, not a survivor "led" one.  Our contacts and relationships with the Person Who Was Hurt (PWWH) as well as their desires and wellbeing inform our decisions.  Their desires are not our decisions.
  2. We aim to uphold and take-guidance from the ideals of restorative justice in our processes surrounding community accountability.  We will do everything to prevent us from ending up at a "Banned from Recess Forever" outcome.
  3. Transgressors are held accountable to the hurt they have caused and their rehabilitation and growth.  We will do everything we can to make sure the PWHCH is not being held accountable to any existing trauma of the PWWH or community or individual anger at larger systems of oppression.  
  4. Those who have been hurt are held accountable-to and supported-in their healing.  We would like for the Person Who Was Hurt (PWWH) to not be unsupported in their hurt or healing.
  5. We aim to give as much support and attention to the PWWH as the Person Who Has Caused Hurt (PWHCH), and recognize that a community pattern is to give most time and energy to the PWHCH.
  6. We will disperse the work of process support among our community as best we can, referring professionals, local community members, and other capable and trusted people to support outside processes.
  7. We recognize the need to be more accessible to receive information about at-risk people in our spaces.  We will continue to make ourselves more accessible through announcements at events, increased awareness of the possible use of the Safe Questions Box for such issues, have a question on our online checkout for events surveying information, and being explicit about our values of creating more comfortable spaces for everyone.
  8. We understand that transformative justice takes more work and investment and will do what we can to support each other and our community in being and doing better. We also understand that no one has entitlement to our labor, expertise, love, or support.  We give this freely and because we want to give it as our gift and will check others who feel entitled to our labor.