The Baptist General Convention of Texas and the University of Texas at San Antonio Office of Community and Restorative Justice have discussed developing a consortium of restorative justice leaders for discussion and research.

Marc Levin, director of the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, has surveyed restorative justice in Texas. He says that contrary to popular perception, Texas can be considered a pioneer in restorative justice.

Bridges to Life is a faith-based restorative justice program based in Houston. It was started by John Sage after his sister was murdered. It works in 21 Texas prisons and one in Louisiana.

Janine P. Geske, retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, developed a restorative justice program at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Nicole S. Zellweger is President of the Center for Women in Transition. The Center for Women in Transition provides tools, support and resources to help recently incarcerated women make positive choices, achieve meaningful goals and be accountable for past actions.

Louisiana’s Catholic bishops spoke in favor of restorative justice policies in a 2002 pastoral statement “Let Justice and Mercy Meet.” The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections uses some restorative justice ideas and practices in its services, among them victim-offender dialogue.

Jayne Crisp is a victim advocate and crisis response trainer with experience in faith-based work. She has trained community leaders after school shootings in Littleton, Colo., and Jonesboro, Ark. She has worked for Prison Fellowship Ministries.

Kathleen M. Mullin is a lawyer and director of Fair Trial Initiative in Durham, N.C., which promotes better defense in death-penalty cases to ensure fairness.

Pamela Blume Leonard is executive director of the Council for Restorative Justice. The CRJ is a foundation-funded program housed in the School of Social Work at Georgia State University in Atlanta.