MEET OUR ADVISORY GROUP

Attorney/Mediator/Restorative Justice Facilitator at Waugh Law & Mediation

“When I was an assistant prosecutor, over and over victims told me that they just wanted to know why the offender acted as they did and they wanted them to apologize. The criminal justice system I was working in did not only fail to provide this opportunity but it generally precludes it. Restorative justice, by focusing on accountability, wrongdoing and making things right, provides a framework for victims, offenders and communities to have their subjective experiences understood and their needs met.”

United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia

Michael John Aloi is a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia. Judge Aloi grew up in the small coal mining town of Farmington, WV , the grandson of Italian Immigrants. He is a graduate of the WVU College of Law, the only member of his class to receive Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers and the Patrick Duffy Kuntz Award for Leadership, Scholarship and Character. Immediately upon graduation he founded the law firm of Manchin and Aloi and practiced law for the next 28 years. He is one of the founders of the mediation movement in WV and mediated over 2500 cases. He is is the only lawyer in WV to be elected to the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. He served as President of the WV State Bar and President of the Association for Conflict Resolution. In 2011 he was appointed as a Circuit Judge for the state of WV, and thereafter he was elected. As a Circuit Judge he established the first Drug Court in his County. In 2015 he was appointed as a US Magistrate Judge and established the first Drug Court at his point of holding court where he continues to serve. Judge Aloi has served as a clinic supervisor and now Adjunct Professor at the WVU College of Law for the last 20 years. He serves on the Boards of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association and the WV Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program. He also serves on the WV Task Force for Lawyer Wellness and is a member of the Advisory Group for the WV Restorative Justice Association. His personal mission is to foster a Justice System that is more compassionate , humane and effective in its response to those suffering from substance use disorder and mental health issues. His hope is to do so every day in his interactions with those who appear before him and in a larger systemic way.

Co-director WV Economic Justice Project; American Friends Service Committee

“I believe restorative justice is a paradigm shift where punishment is no longer our first response to harm. And instead we see that harm is not simply about individual wrongdoing, but often stems from our collective failures as a society. Restorative justice demonstrates our interconnectedness.”

Sister of St. Joseph; Restorative Justice Practitioner at American Friends Service Committee

“Having worked in prisons and with justice impacted people, I value using restorative justice as a way to help people take responsibility for their actions, heal relationships and build community, as well as help end the school to prison pipeline. I believe the circle process can help bridge the divides in our culture and help people build understanding with one another in our schools, churches, and community settings.”

Coordinator of Assessment & Student Services for Wood County Schools

Professor of Religious Studies; Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies; Co-Director at Center for Restorative Justice

West Virginia Wesleyan College

Interim minister; Consultant in healing and restorative justice

Rev. English served as ministerial assistant to Drs. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sr. He delivered a prayer at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Attorney in Martinsburg, West Virginia