The Cycle of Harm and the Cycle of Healing: Breaking Generational Pain Through Restorative Justice

Elizabeth Sinofsky
Jul 12
3 min read

Hurt people hurt people. This simple truth sits at the root of so much violence, addiction, and despair in our communities. When trauma is left unaddressed, it doesn’t simply fade away...

it festers. It passes down through families, seeps into relationships, and fuels new harm.

But there is another way. By facing harm with honesty, compassion, and accountability, we can create a cycle of healing that restores lives on both sides of the prison wall.

Understanding the Cycle of Harm

Many people who end up incarcerated didn’t start out as “bad.” They were once children who were neglected, abused, or surrounded by chaos. When trauma goes untreated, it can distort beliefs about worth, trust, and safety.

Imagine growing up believing you are unlovable or that violence is normal. Imagine never having a safe place to process the grief or shame of what was done to you. Over time, those wounds often become the fuel for lashing out, numbing out, or giving up.

The cycle of harm is exactly that, a cycle. Trauma feeds more trauma, spreading from one person to another like ripples on water.

When Justice Falls Short

Traditional justice systems often focus only on punishment. Someone causes harm, and the system responds by removing them from society. But this approach rarely helps victims heal or gives the person who offended a chance to understand and change.

Instead, it can deepen shame and isolation. Once labeled an “offender,” people are often treated as irredeemable. When they eventually return home, and most do, they face communities unwilling to see them as anything more than the worst thing they ever did.

This rejection doesn’t keep us safer. It increases the chances that the cycle will continue.

What the Cycle of Healing Looks Like

Healing doesn’t mean excusing harm or avoiding accountability. It means recognizing that repair is possible, and that everyone affected by harm deserves support in healing.

Restorative justice is a process that brings together those who were harmed, those who caused harm, and the broader community. Instead of simply punishing, it asks:

What happened?
Who was impacted?
What do they need to move forward?
What must be done to repair the harm?

In restorative circles or victim-offender dialogues, survivors can share how the harm affected them and express what they need for closure. The person who caused the harm can take responsibility, express remorse, and make amends in meaningful ways.

It’s not easy work. But it transforms shame into accountability, and isolation into connection.

Why Communities Must Be Willing to Heal Together

After all, nearly every incarcerated person will eventually return home. If communities are unwilling to work with them, the chances they will feel ostracized again grow exponentially. That sense of rejection and hopelessness often becomes the seed for new harm.

When communities instead choose to invest in reentry support, trauma-informed care, and restorative practices, they create space for people to rebuild their lives. They reduce recidivism, improve public safety, and honor the humanity of everyone impacted.

Healing together doesn’t erase the past, but it changes the future.

How You Can Help Break the Cycle

Educate Yourself: Learn more about restorative justice and trauma-informed approaches.
Support Programs: Volunteer or donate to organizations that facilitate dialogue and healing.
Advocate: Push for policies that prioritize rehabilitation, mental health, and reentry services.
Practice Empathy: See people as more than their worst mistakes.

RESOURCES

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) – Victim‑Offender Dialogue (VOD)

CDCR’s Office of Victim and Survivor Rights & Services facilitates Victim‑Offender Dialogues in prisons across the state. These structured, voluntary meetings allow victims to express the impact of the crime and offenders to truly hear—and take responsibility for—the harm they caused Facebook+10CDCR+10Restorative Justice California+10.✔️ How to access: Victims initiate the process by contacting OVSRS at 1‑877‑256‑6877 or OVSRS_VOD@cdcr.ca.gov CDCR+2CDCR+2CDCR+2.

Beyond Us & Them (Los Angeles)

This LA‑based nonprofit uses council circles grounded in restorative practices to help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, law enforcement, and communities reconnect and build resilience waysofcouncil.net +2en.wikipedia.org +2beyondusandthem.org +2.

Programs include:

Council for Insight, Compassion & Resilience in 29 state prisons—training inmates to facilitate peer dialogues en.wikipedia.org +1beyondusandthem.org +1.
LA Reentry Collaborative—a partnership focused on supporting people returning home from incarceration . Get involved: Visit their website to join training, volunteer, or support council circles.

Anti‑Recidivism Coalition (ARC)

Based in Los Angeles, ARC offers peer support, reentry assistance, and policy advocacy to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully transition home Anti Recidivism Coalition -+1Wikipedia+1.

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (Oakland)

Fights systemic over-incarceration and invests in urban restorative solutions—particularly for youth—under initiatives such as Books Not Bars and Heal the Streets Wikipedia.