*Note* This scheduling program was not designed by folks who do a lot with APA Style and unfortunately it defaults to listing authors in alphabetical order. We cannot fix this for this online schedule, but the author orders are posted in the order submitted in the printed program available via pdf here.
Restorative justice is an integral part of restoring individuals, families and communities. A crucial part of the restoring process is the involvement of mental health professionals. The current climate in the criminal justice environment lends itself to using more punitive measures before considering rehabilitating offenders. With the increasing number of offenders in jails and correctional facilities, many professionals in the criminal justice system are realizing that punitive measures are no longer effective to correct behavior. As a result, researchers and clinicians alike are searching for solutions to decrease the numbers of offenders in the system and decrease the rate of recidivism upon release. Providing holistic treatment from competent mental health professionals can be an integral part of the restorative justice process. Within this context, female psychologists can provide treatment to families and offenders while also being an advocate for the restorative justice system. Female psychologists and other female mental health professionals have a specific voice and offer many valuable attributes to the treatment process. Specifically, treatment of the offenders will be enhanced through the use of positive psychology through a feminist lens. As women are often the victims in restorative justice situations, intentionally having women as a part of the restorative process can bring healing not only to the offender, but also to the victim and the community as a whole. This paper will focus on the various types of treatments that can be used to treat offenders while still being supportive of the victim and their family, as well as providing healing to the community at large. Several modalities including solution-focused brief therapy, substance abuse treatment and drug court have been posited to be effective in treating offenders and will be examined further.
