Dr. Sandra Pavelka serves as Professor and Founding Director of the Institute for
Youth and Justice Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Pavelka received her
Ph.D. in Public Administration with a specialization in Justice Policy from Florida
Atlantic University. Her dissertation, Practice to Policy to Management: A Restorative Justice Framework, is seminal work in the restorative justice discipline with a focus on system reform
and policy implementation of restorative justice nationally. Dr. Pavelka is the recipient
of the distinguished Lois Haight Award of Excellence and Innovation by the Congressional Crime Survivors
and Justice Caucus, US Congress as well as the eminent National Points of Light award.
Dr. Pavelka is an internationally recognized restorative justice expert and consultant.
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Education
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- Ph.D. Public Administration, Specialization Justice Policy, Florida Atlantic University
Dissertation Practice to Policy to Management: A Restorative Justice Framework
- MPA Master of Public Administration, Florida International University
- B.A. Political Science, University of Florida
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Specialties
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- Restorative justice
- Juvenile justice
- American politics and elections
- Public policy
- Program evaluation
- Gender responsive programming
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Courses Offered
Toggle Courses OfferedGraduate Courses
Graduate Faculty designee
- PAD 5933: Proposal Writing and Grant Administration
- PAD 6327: Seminar in Program Planning and Evaluation
- PAD 6708: Research Methods and Analysis
- PAD 6812: State and Local Government Administration
Undergraduate Courses
- CCJ 4662: Minorities and Crime
- CCJ 4663: Female Crime
- CCJ 4933: Special Topics – Restorative Justice
- CJC 4310: Methods of Offender Treatment
- CJJ 4015: Juvenile Justice System
- IDH 4638C: Freedom to Serve - Honors
- IDS 3302: Issues in Politics and Economics
- POS 2041: American National Government
- POS 2112: State and Local Government Administration
- POS 3272: Politics and the Citizen
- POS 3691: Law Politics and Society
- POS 4064: Intergovernmental Relations
- POS 4072: Women in Politics and Government
- POS 4152: Urban Politics and Problems
- POS 4232: Proposal Writing and Grant Administration
- POS 4734: Research Methods and Analysis in Political Science
- PUP 4930: Special Topics in Political Science Policy – Restorative Justice Policy
- PUP 3040: State and Local Public Policy
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Publications
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Books
- When You Come to the Fork in the Road, Take It: The Journey of Restorative Justice. Editors:Pavelka S. and A. Seymour: forthcoming.
- The Legacy of Community Justice. Editors: Pavelka, S., A. Seymour, B. Stuart. Kanata, ON: J Charlton Publishing Ltd,
2013.
- International Perspectives on Restorative Justice in Education. Editors: Charlton, J., S. Pavelka, and P.J. Verrecchia. Kanata, ON: J Charlton Publishing Ltd, 2011.
Peer Reviewed Publications
- Richner, K.A., S. Pavelka, and D. McChargue, “A Restorative Justice Intervention in
United States Prisons: Implications of Intervention Timing, Age, and Gender on Recidivism,” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2022.
- McChargue, D., S. Pavelka and J. Kennedy, “Restorative Justice Interventions,” Corrections Today, a publication of the American Correctional Association, Nov/Dec 2020.
- S. Pavelka and D. Thomas, “The Evolution of Balanced and Restorative Justice,” Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 70(1), 2019.
- Pavelka, S. and A. Seymour, “Guiding Principles for Restorative Justice and Victims,”
Corrections Today, a publication of the American Correctional Association, Jan/Feb 2019.
- Pavelka, S., “Restorative Justice in the States: A National Assessment of Legislation
and Policy,” Justice Policy Journal, 13(2), 2016.
- Pavelka, S. and D. Thomas, “Performance Measurement in Juvenile Justice: Developing
and Implementing Model Reporting Systems," Perspectives. 40(1), 2016.
- Pavelka, S., “Practices and Policies for Implementing Restorative Justice within Schools,”
The Prevention Researcher, 20(1), 2013.
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Conference Presentations
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Select Conference Presentations
- Recidivism, Emotional Empathy, Adverse Childhood Events, and Emotion Management Skills
of Released Prisoners who Participated in a Brief Restorative Justice Intervention,”
International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Sydney, Australia, June
20-22 2023.
- “Restorative Justice Lawmaking and Legal System Reform,” National Conference on Community
and Restorative Justice, Chicago, IL, July 7-9, 2022.
- “Advocating for All: The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Incarceration,” Plenary
Session, National Center for Victims of Crime National Conference, Atlanta, GA, October
6, 2021.
- “Guiding Principles for Restorative Justice and Victims and Survivors,” National Center
for Victims of Crime National Conference, Atlanta, GA, October 7, 2021.
- “Restorative Justice in the US: An Analysis of Statutory Legislation and Policy,”
Keynote Speaker, RJ World E-Conference, August 22-31, 2020.
- “Community Justice: Community Engaged Criminal Justice Reform,” RJ World E-Conference,
August 22-31, 2020.
- “Balanced and Restorative Justice’s 30 Year Evolution: Where It Began, How It Developed,
and Where It Might Be Going,” National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, July 28-31, 2019.
- “NACRJ Law and Policy Initiative: Planning for Advocacy,” National Conference on Community
and Restorative Justice, Denver, CO, June 14-16, 2019.
- “Gender Responsive Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation,” All About Girls Summit,
Orlando, FL, March 7-8, 2019.
- “Gender Responsive Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation,” All About Girls Summit,
Orlando, FL, March 22-23, 2018.
- “Strategies to Address Juvenile Crime and Wrongdoing: A Restorative Justice Approach,”
National Symposium on Juvenile Services, Orlando, FL, October 9, 2017.
- “Restorative Justice in the States: An Analysis of Statutory Legislation and Policy,”
National Conference on Community and Restorative Justice, Oakland, CA, June 16-18,
2017.
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Grants & Awards
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Grants:
- Justice for Families Project
- American Rescue Plan Act
- Lee County, FL/United Way
- Subcontract through Abuse Counseling Treatment, Inc. (Total award amount $400,000)
- July 2022 – present
- Funded amount: $57,048.
- Ft. Myers Reentry Initiative
- Principal Investigator/Evaluator
- US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
- Subcontract through City of Ft. Myers Police Department (Total award amount $1 million)
- January 2019 – present
- Funded Amount: $ 182,412.
Awards
- Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
- Distinguished Leadership and Service Award, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice,
2021
- Leadership and Service Award, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, 2017
- National Points of Light Award, 2016
- McTarnaghan Teaching Award, Florida Gulf Coast University, 2015
- Lois Haight Award of Excellence and Innovation, Congressional Crime Survivors and
Justice Caucus, 2023
Service
FGCU Service
- Faculty Senate
- College of Arts and Sciences College Governance Team, Chair
Professional Service
- Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, Twentieth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida, Chair
- Girls Coordinating Council, Lee County, Florida
- National Association of Community and Restorative Justice Advisory Council, Policy
and Legislation Workgroup, Chair
- PACE Center for Girls–Lee, Advisory Board
- Political Analyst, Television, Print, Web Media
- The Peace Alliance, Senior Advisor for Restorative Justice
- Restorative Justice on the Rise, Senior Adviser
- U.S. Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus, Advisory Committee