Derek Miodownik Adjunct Professor of Sociology
Bio
M.A., Vermont Law School (Restorative Justice)
Graduate Certificate; SIT Graduate Institute (Intercultural Conflict Transformation)
B.A., Connecticut College (Psychology-based Human Relations)
Areas of Interest
Derek Miodownik (he/him) has been a restorative justice practitioner and program administrator for the past 26 years. Before moving to Vermont in 1999, he worked for the Center for Court Innovation (https://www.courtinnovation.org), where he implemented and directed the Red Hook Youth Court in Brooklyn, NY. Presently, he is the Community & Restorative Justice Executive for the Vermont Department of Corrections (https://doc.vermont.gov). In this role, Derek oversees grant-funded partnerships with statewide Community Justice Centers and Transitional Housing providers. As part of his training in the field of Conflict Transformation, Derek has studied in Rwanda, where he was able to directly observe the post-genocide Gacaca Court process. He has also developed restorative justice program capacity in Armenia and the Republic of Georgia through his work with PH International (https://www.ph-int.org).
Courses I Teach
Restorative Justice
I believe that experience is the best teacher, so I strive to facilitate a robust culture of justice in our shared classroom community. As such, we are each co-responsible for the quality of our collective learning and connection. Restorative Justice is not just a removed subject matter that we study, it is an active recalibration of relationships that calls into question foundational elements of how our society is structured. Looking forward to embarking on this transformational journey with you.