Paper short abstract:

The paper – based on ethnographic research on restorative justice practices in Poland – will show non-schematic way of seeing the city and its inhabitants through the prism of RJ philosophy. (JUST-JACC-AG-2019-875763).

Paper long abstract:

During the interviews with representatives of LGBT organisations and those working in the field of restorative justice, the importance of the social and political context influencing the low interest in applying restorative justice solutions, despite their presence in Polish law, was repeatedly mentioned. It has been observed that harsh punishments and the principle of „an eye for an eye” are fuelled by successive governments in Poland, as well as the idea of retributive justice, which brings the highest number of prison sentences in Europe.

The paper will focus on the attempts to change the dominance of retributive justice on a microscale using the example of Wrocław – Restorative City from 2021. Active and direct participation in the community, belief in the possibility of change, awareness of responsibility for other members of urban society are civic attitudes essential for grassroots attempts to change urban policies.

Greater attention will be paid to an exemplary and unique project of Wroclaw Center for Restorative Justice (a task of the municipal Wroclaw Integration Center) and its co-operation mechanisms with local organisations as well as with the inhabitants of the city. Its focus on combating hate speech is reshaping not only the view of the city but also the ways as the concept of justice is perceived.