Feb. 20, 2025: Restorative Justice To Address Violence Against Trans People in Puerto Rico

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Posted on February 26, 2025 at 12:00 AM

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By Dr. Jane Nicholson

I am providing Restorative Justice Certification workshops in Puerto Rico to assist trans people in building safe community spaces and solidarity. Our project addresses violence against trans people on the eastern coast of the Island, where folks are isolated, police cooperation is virtually nil, and evangelical groups calling themselves Proyecto Dignidad are spreading hateful messages. The inability to report hate crimes to authorities results in underreporting and little to no data, all in addition to endangering and isolating trans individuals.

In 2023, I wrote a federal grant proposal for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago to address trans violence on the island. The proposal was successful in large part due to our partner on the Island, Waves Ahead (www.wavesahead.org). Waves Ahead Puerto Rico works with the island’s underserved LGBTQ+ and elder communities to bring them equity of services in secure spaces as well as to improve their public safety.

There is a crucial need for trans people to have safe spaces where they can build stronger relationships with one another. They face exclusion and harassment, along with isolation that has been intensified by natural disasters (Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Fiona) and the COVID pandemic. Moreover, hate crimes, domestic violence, and homicides are far too prevalent. The data available from the Judicial Branch of Puerto Rico shows that from2021 to 2022, 10,709 requests for Protection Orders were issued, of which 3,866 were approved. And according to the Puerto Rico Gender Equality Observatory, in 2024, more than 15 femicides and transfemicides were reported on the island.

Our Restorative Justice Certification program has just completed the first of four workshops, where 10 community leaders were certified. They will be leading talking circles in two different communities. When community members are the leaders and drivers of restorative justice programs, trust is built. Our current goal with the remaining workshops is to establish the program in five communities and to deepen techniques to include repairing family relationships. We are beginning our work in small to mid-sized towns where isolation is the most severe.

A key element of the community-building effort is to lessen violence. Trans hate crime is elevated in Puerto Rico due to poor enforcement and victim support. We will extend our talking circles to municipal leaders in order to recruit meaningful support for trans, gay, and all diverse neighbors.

I have seen the benefits of restorative justice in community-building and violence prevention, including conflict resolution, and am confident that the trans community will suffer less from anxiety by engaging with one another more frequently. I’m honored to be invited to participate in an island-wide, two-day conference on restorative justice, March 19-20. We intend to work across the island, including in schools, by launching a restorative justice campaign. We must urgently connect and empower people and demand responsiveness and protection from law enforcement.