Healing Dialogue and Action

Healing Dialogue and Action (HDA), an emerging restorative justice organization, brings together those wounded by violence and by a broken criminal justice system. Participants share personal stories and listen with compassionate hearts in a process to heal persons and relationships. Participants receive training to become community leaders so that those most affected by violence and criminal justice may be heard in the public debate.

HDA grew out of the work of a broad coalition of social justice organizations, faith groups, and individuals seeking to end life sentences for youth. Families who have suffered the murder of a family member and families with a young person sentenced to long adult prison terms are often deeply wounded and socially isolated. Bringing them together to share personal sorrows rarely spoken in public creates healing. By combining this with training for leadership and advocacy, a unique form of restorative justice was born.