Techno-mediated Justice: How Restorative Justice Practitioners Use VideoConferencing Platforms and What HCI Can Learn from Them

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, videoconferencing platforms have become an essential part of our social, educational, and work lives. Furthermore, the United States continues to grapple with criminal justice reform, employing processes such as restorative justice to replace antiquated punitive approaches to justice with a focus on the multifaceted needs of communities. Essential to the delivery of restorative justice, restorative justice practitioners are community members trained in the process and approaches of restorative practice. Like everyone else, restorative justice practitioners have transitioned from historically in-person facilitation to online facilitation, integrating videoconferencing platforms into their justice-related work. Diverse communities within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) have been examined in light of their digital transitions and the utilization of various digital tools, including videoconferencing platforms prompted by the pandemic. However, the distinctive perspective of restorative justice practitioners in adapting restorative approaches to an online format is unexplored. Therefore, our research examines how restorative practitioners use videoconferencing platforms for justice-related interventions. To do so, we conducted six semi-structured focus group interviews with 22 US-based restorative facilitators to learn about their experiences with online delivery of restorative justice. Our research revealed that restorative facilitators uphold restorative values in their online delivery by embracing the restorative facilitation process and fostering dialogue. Furthermore, we posit that the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community can acquire valuable insights from restorative practitioners on nurturing and sustaining intimacy and connection online.