Sacred Circuits of Repair: AI, Restorative Justice, and the Spiritual Practice of Technological Belonging
Publication information:
Abstract
This experiential workshop explores AI-facilitated restorative justice as an emerging spiritual practice at the intersection of technological innovation and ancient peacemaking traditions. Drawing on scenarios for AI implementation in carceral settings, participants will engage with questions of how digital tools can either deepen or obstruct sacred practices of accountability, repair, and belonging. Through guided dialogue, contemplative exercises, and hands-on engagement with restorative frameworks, we examine how marginalized communities, including the incarcerated, might reclaim technology as an instrument of healing rather than surveillance, and how spiritual traditions inform ethical AI development in contexts of systemic harm.
Presenter Biographies
Dr. Julia DeVoy is Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Students at Boston College. She holds degrees from Oxford (MBA), Harvard (MTS), and Boston College (PhD, MLS in Cybersecurity '26). DeVoy co-founded the inter-institutional ‘Design for Impact’ initiative and won Oxford’s GOTO award for innovation addressing freshwater scarcity. She serves on Harvard Business Review’s Advisory Council.
Maria Peterlin is an interdisciplinary researcher studying applied psychology, cyber strategy and design, and management and leadership. Her studies focus on ethical AI, restorative justice, and contemplative leadership. Her work examines how emerging technologies can support accountability, repair, and belonging, particularly high-harm systems where digital tools often reinforce control rather than care.
Kate Bishop is a Boston College Gabelli Presidential Scholar studying Restorative and Transformational Justice and Design Thinking. Her work examines the use of AI and human-centered technologies in restorative justice practices, with experiences in prison education, facilitated dialogue, and justice-focused design.