LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 6, 2010) – Bellarmine University will welcome Howard Zehr, Ph.D., who is nationally acclaimed for his work in the area of restorative justice, on Jan. 14. Restorative justice focuses on repairing the harm caused by and revealed by crime or wrongdoing. The process brings together those who have a stake in an offense, including the victim, offender, family members and community in an effort to heal all parties. The presentation will be held in Frazier Hall on the Bellarmine campus at 7 p.m.

Zehr is professor of restorative justice at the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Bellarmine University’s Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies Department, Center for Ethics and Social Justice, Theology Department, Interdisciplinary Core program and College of Education Center for Teaching Excellence and Leadership are co-sponsors of Zehr’s presentation, along with Just Solutions, the Peace Education Program, Society for Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents, Interfaith Paths to Peace, the Center for Interfaith Relations and the Louisville Peace Works Committee of the Louisville Bar Association.

Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university offering more than 50 majors, as well as graduate degree programs, a doctor of nursing practice and a doctor of physical therapy. Forbes.com and the Princeton Review rank Bellarmine among America’s best institutions for higher education, and U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Bellarmine as a top tier university.

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