Weaving the Circle: Reflections from the 2025 CCRJP Statewide Convening

 On September 18th, 2025, about 130 restorative justice practitioners, advocates, and community partners from across Colorado gathered—both in person and online—for the Colorado Coalition for Restorative Justice Practices (CCRJP) Statewide Convening: Weave the Circle—Living into Our Practitioner Guidelines

🌹 Roses: What Bloomed Brightest

Grounding Keynote
Sheryl Wilson opened the day with wisdom, reflection, and challenge—calling us to “call in our neighbors into beloved community.” Her keynote helped us name both the resilience and the real work ahead in restorative justice.

Regional and Hybrid Innovation
The convening’s greatest success: regional connection and hybrid participation that bridged distance while honoring place. Each cohort brought unique energy and wisdom. Participants appreciated feeling uplifted by both local context and statewide solidarity.

“My community felt really energized by the opportunity to focus on our own context while also feeling connected to the broader network.” – Lindsey, participant

Engagement and Atmosphere
Breakouts, Padlet reflections, and flexible facilitation made the day interactive and alive. Feedback praised the convening’s welcoming atmosphere and smooth logistics, thanks to strong teamwork from Cristina, Mary, and Jamelah.

🥀 Thorns: Lessons in Growth

Growth comes through honesty—and participants named several areas for evolution.

Emergent Circle Panel
Participants experienced the large-group session differently—energizing for some, while others desired a tighter focus. Many suggested smaller simultaneous circles, pre-seeded speakers, or formats that create more depth and courage for hard conversations.

Hybrid Hurdles
Tech support was strong overall, but minor hiccups and limited camera use online created barriers to connection. Future gatherings will include more advance testing and intentional online engagement.

Agenda Density
The agenda’s richness made it hard for regional sites to follow every segment. Future convenings will benefit from more spacious pacing and tailored tracks for different RJ experience levels.

🌱 Buds: What’s Emerging

Deeper Guideline Engagement
Participants want more time to explore CCRJP’s Practitioner Guidelines—especially the complex themes of Guidelines 5–8—through localized, flexible deep dives.

Regional Hub Momentum
Excitement is high for continued regional connection and hybrid collaboration. Practitioners in rural areas voiced enthusiasm to host future convenings beyond the Front Range.

Network Growth & Leadership
There’s collective momentum to expand leadership, deepen learning opportunities, and strengthen CCRJP’s statewide vision—rooted in honesty, equity, and love.

🔜 Looking Ahead: Building on Momentum

As participants reflected in closing:

“We’re building collective power—leaders who will lead relationally, with accountability and love at the center.”

From gratitude and solidarity to courage and evolution, the 2025 convening affirmed what we already know: restorative justice in Colorado is a living, breathing network—and together, we’re growing something beautiful.