Episode Details

Marlee Liss, founder of Survivors for Justice Reform (S4JR), shares her experience choosing restorative justice over criminal prosecution after being sexually assaulted by a stranger. She discusses why 94% of sexual assault victims don't report to police, how the criminal court system re-traumatized her at every step, and what happened when she sat in a healing circle with her assailant after he completed seven months of therapy.

Marlee explains the difference between restorative justice and the traditional court system, why she fought Crown prosecutors to pursue this path, and what her assailant revealed during their eight-hour facilitated dialogue. She also addresses the biggest misconception about restorative justice—that it lets perpetrators "off the hook"—and shares why thousands of people around the world have reached out saying they wish they'd known this option existed.

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