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Restorative Justice International announces today its endorsement of Eli Savit, candidate for District Attorney, Washtenaw county, Michigan. Savit is based in Ann Arbor. The endorsement comes after RJI’s release of its podcast with Savit and after reviewing his responses to RJI’s candidate questionnaire.

Restorative Justice International is a national and global nonpartisan association and network of over 6000 affiliates and members. RJI is one of the largest advocacy associations in the world championing victims-driven restorative justice as a needed foundation for systemic justice reform. “Eli Savit is the kind of district attorney we need in our justice system in the state of Michigan, ” said Lisa Rea, president, Restorative Justice International (RJI). ” Savit understands that victims-driven restorative justice is needed to hold offenders accountable in ways that change their lives while committing to providing crime victims, and communities, a path to a justice that heals,” she continued. RJI was founded by veteran restorative justice leader Lisa Rea and is guided by its Global Advisory Council with esteemed members from around the world. RJI’s Global Advisory Council: http://www.restorativejusticeinternational.com/gac-team/

Eli Savit is a University of Michigan Law School graduate who has clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Since 2016 he has served as Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s senior legal counsel. Eli is also a University of Michigan Law School adjunct professor. His experience includes working for federal appellate judges in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and working for a private firm handling civil litigation. At the City of Detroit, Eli is known as a fighter for criminal-justice reform. He spearheads the City’s efforts to make it easier for people to expunge criminal records. He serves as the City’s liaison to Michigan’s statewide task force on jail and pretrial incarceration. And he leads a team of lawyers, statisticians, and trauma-informed professionals to craft city and state policies that will reduce the prison population, and promote rehabilitation and workforce- development for returning citizens. Though he has no experience as a prosecutor, Eli argues that his candidacy brings a fresh perspective on how the criminal justice system interacts with communities on issues related to housing, education and workforce development. Eli supports victims-driven restorative justice. Podcast: http://www.restorativejusticeinternational.com/2020/eli-savit-candidate-for-district-attorney-michigan-march-6-2020/