Susan Sharpe was guiding light that illuminated pathways of healing, accountability, and transformation. While her absence is deeply felt, her teachings and wisdom will never vanish. They live on in the principles she instilled, the lives she touched, and the practitioners she inspired. Her contributions to restorative justice have left an indelible mark on the field, shaping ethical frameworks and victim-centered approaches that continue to guide practitioners today. As a mediator, facilitator, and advocate, she championed the need for justice systems to prioritize healing over punishment, ensuring that victims are heard and communities are strengthened.
In her book Restorative Justice: A Vision for Healing and Change, Sharpe articulates the core principles that define restorative justice, emphasizing that “justice is not about retribution, but about restoration”. Her work has been instrumental in helping communities establish sound restorative justice practices, ensuring that programs are built on ethical foundations and meaningful engagement.
We were grateful to cross paths and purposes with Susan in our work here at CJI over the decades. Working alongside Catherine Bargen, David Gustafson, Sandi Bergen, Aaron Lyons and Dan Basham, Susan helped shape CJI’s and countless other restorative justice organizations ethical frameworks for practice. In the constant debate and discussions regarding competing models and standards that still rage on today, Susan illuminates the strong need for ethical frameworks that will act as reliable guides (or “moral compasses”) and call us to our best practice, warning: 
“When restorative justice is practiced in schools, criminal justice settings, or in other strong institutions, most available compasses are still calibrated to the magnetic pull of authoritarian and punitive traditions”. Gratefully, in partnership together with Community Justice Initiatives staff, Susan self-published her guidebook WALKING THE TALK: Developing Ethics Frameworks for the Practice of Restorative Justice (2011) in the hopes that its free access to communities and practitioners would help ensure the field continues move in ways that promote excellent practices and build trust and caring relationships with clients. Still just as resonant and useful, the online guidebook is still offered for free on our website.
Susan’s legacy is one of transformation—of systems, of perspectives, and of lives. Through her writings and teachings, she has inspired countless individuals to rethink crime and justice, urging them to embrace approaches that foster accountability, healing, and ethical responsibility. Her vision continues to shape restorative justice practices, ensuring that justice remains a force for healing and change.
