Building Restorative Justice Infrastructure: Learning from Chicago’s Trailblazers
Our work is grounded in the belief that transformative justice is possible when communities lead the way. As we reflect on lessons from Ora Schub, Cheryl Graves, and Mariame Kaba—visionaries in Chicago’s justice-for-youth movement—we recognize the power of grassroots leadership in building a restorative justice hub infrastructure. Their work in developing circles in Wentworth Gardens public housing, introducing Girl Talk in the Cook County juvenile detention center, and leading citywide movement-building efforts offer crucial insights into sustaining community-led justice practices.
Remembering Ora Schub and Cheryl Graves: Tireless Advocates for Justice
Ora Schub was a fierce and unwavering advocate for youth justice, known for her deep commitment to defending the rights of young people caught in the criminal legal system. She dedicated her life to transformative justice, believing that true change comes from investing in the leadership and resilience of impacted communities. As a lawyer, mentor, and organizer, she played a pivotal role in ensuring that restorative justice initiatives in Chicago were not theoretical frameworks but lived practices that centered healing and accountability.
Her work was not just about legal defense; it was about creating the conditions for young people to be seen, heard, and valued. Similarly, Cheryl Graves, a dedicated advocate and mentor, worked to establish restorative justice frameworks that empowered young people, emphasizing healing over punishment. As one of the 'Grandmothers of Chicago's Restorative Justice Movement,' Cheryl was instrumental in ensuring that community-led practices thrived. Through their involvement in restorative justice circle keeper training and other justice initiatives, Ora and Cheryl helped build a foundation that continues to empower communities today. Their legacy reminds us that real justice is not about punishment but about building the structures necessary for young people to thrive.
As someone who was trained by Ora and Cheryl, I was entrusted with leading the Wentworth Gardens circles alongside Pamela Purdie and supported the initial grant through Adler University to structure the restorative justice hubs across Chicago. As a young person at the time, I did not fully grasp the incredible impact these women had—not just on me but on the communities we served. Looking back, I see how their mentorship and leadership shaped my career and how the work I have engaged in across the country has been deeply influenced by their vision and dedication.
Ora sharing what RJ in an excerpt from a recording from RJ & TJ organizers across Chicago. Click to view.
Lessons from Circles in Wentworth Gardens
Wentworth Gardens, a public housing development on the South Side of Chicago, has been home to innovative community-led restorative justice work. Girl Talk circles became a space where residents could engage in honest dialogue, process harm, and build solidarity. Ora Schub and Cheryl Graves, two longtime community leaders, helped shape these circles into a tool for intergenerational healing.
Their approach centered on deep listening, acknowledging past harms, and fostering accountability within the community. They worked with young people who had experienced violence firsthand, offering them a space to reflect, heal, and develop leadership skills. These circles didn’t just respond to conflict; they proactively built community resilience.
Restorative Justice in the Juvenile Detention Center
The expansion of Girl Talk into the juvenile detention center marked a significant step in connecting restorative justice to the criminal legal system. Recognizing that traditional punitive models failed to address the root causes of harm many advocated for a shift toward healing-centered engagement.
Inside the detention center, the Girl Talk became a rare space for incarcerated youth to speak openly about their experiences and imagine futures beyond confinement. This initiative not only humanized young people trapped in the system but also challenged institutions to reimagine justice as a pathway for transformation rather than punishment.
For those looking to implement similar initiatives, the Girl Talk Curriculum provides a structured approach to facilitating these conversations. You can access it here.
Project Nia artwork from their website. Click to view.
Movement-Building
Mariame Kaba, a long-time organizer and abolitionist, played a pivotal role in shaping the vision for a citywide restorative justice social infrastructure. Understanding that isolated programs could not dismantle the deeply rooted punitive systems in Chicago, she and others worked to build an interconnected network of community-based restorative justice organizers.
Mariame’s work reminds us that restorative justice is not just about responding to harm—it is about transforming the conditions that create harm in the first place. Through movement-building strategies, storytelling, and direct action, she helped shape a landscape where restorative justice is not an isolated intervention but a foundational practice embedded in community life.
As a young person, attending the citywide trainings offered by Project NIA in partnership with professors at UIC provided me with a socio-political framework and a network of individuals working on justice issues at various levels. These trainings centered trans and people of color with direct experience in the criminal legal system and profoundly shaped my career trajectory.
This educational foundation allowed me to begin my work in public service by walking alongside community members directly impacted by poor policy decisions. It reinforced my belief that transformative justice is not about isolated interventions but about changing the systemic conditions that create harm in the first place. We all have a role to play at every level.
Chicago Restorative Justice Hub Infrastructure
RJ hubs, designed to be accessible spaces in neighborhoods most impacted by criminalization, offered alternatives to police intervention. They served as sites for healing circles, youth leadership development, and mutual aid networks, demonstrating that community members themselves are best equipped to resolve conflicts and support one another.
Restorative justice hubs in Chicago were built out of necessity, by and for the people most impacted by criminalization. They weren’t an experiment or a pilot project driven by an external entity—they were a response. A response to decades of harm inflicted by the criminal legal system. A response to the reality that in some neighborhoods, calling the police escalates harm rather than resolving it. A response to the need for healing spaces where people could take accountability in ways that actually repaired relationships, rather than destroying them.
These hubs—often tucked inside churches, community centers, or youth spaces—became sites where people could come together to resolve conflict, hold healing circles, develop youth leadership, and mobilize mutual aid. They were built on the foundational belief that the people closest to harm are the best equipped to lead solutions.
Restorative Justice Hubs Are More Than an Alternative—They Are Essential
For years, communities have been told that policing, courts, and incarceration are the infrastructure of public safety. But if that were true, why are the neighborhoods with the heaviest police presence still struggling with cycles of harm, violence, and instability?
Restorative justice hubs offer something policing never can: a way to break those cycles. They intervene before harm escalates. They create pathways out of conflict and criminalization. They equip communities with the tools to heal themselves, rather than relying on systems that were never designed to serve them in the first place.
Chicago’s Restorative Justice Hubs model has shown that community-driven solutions work—but their success depends on institutional commitment and infrastructure. By building a citywide framework that integrates RJ hubs into the broader justice ecosystem, we can ensure that community-led healing, conflict resolution, and harm reduction remain sustainable, accessible, and impactful for future generations.
For a comprehensive database of restorative justice hubs and initiatives across Chicago, visit the Restorative Justice Hubs database.
Applying These Lessons to Our Work
At SISU Consulting, we are committed to integrating these powerful lessons into our approach to restorative and transformative justice. Learning from Chicago’s organizers, we see the need for:
Community-Led Healing Spaces: Justice initiatives must be led by those most impacted, ensuring that solutions are rooted in lived experience.
Institutional Accountability: Restorative justice work must push systems—whether housing authorities, schools, or detention centers—to adopt healing-centered practices.
Sustainable Infrastructure: A single program is not enough. Restorative justice hubs must be resourced and connected to form a resilient ecosystem of care and accountability.
As we continue building toward justice, we uplift the work of those who have paved the way. The movement for a restorative justice hub infrastructure in Chicago is a testament to what is possible when communities lead the charge, and it serves as a model for efforts nationwide.
With gratitude for the work of Ora Schub, Cheryl Graves, and Mariame Kaba,
SISU Consulting