(WSD) Intro Course: Classroom Circles & Restorative Schools

Kris Miner is the director of Circle Space Services, a restorative justice non-profit, and Prairie Hills Counseling, a private counseling practice.She was born and raised in South Dakota and loved growing up on a ranch.She graduated from South Dakota State University with a Masters Degree in Counseling and Human Resource Development.She worked as a family therapist before moving out of state.

Her professional background includes working as social worker for adolescents in the criminal justice system.She worked in Wisconsin as a juvenile justice and child protection supervisor.She had been introduced to harm-reduction, trauma-informed, solution-focused and practices that empower people to heal.She took these philosophies and skills to the work of a new non-profit as an executive director of a Restorative Justice program.

Over the decade of Restorative Justice non-profit work, she developed numerous programs at the request of the community.These sessions addressed a range of public health issues.She also facilitated severe crime Victim-Offender Dialogue in prisons and community settings.At the heart of her work is the Peacemaking Circle process.She offered quarterly Circle Keeper Trainings, advanced trainings, and traveled to schools and communities across the Midwest, assisting in implementing Restorative Practices and teaching others Peacemaking Circle process.

Kris was the lead trainer when Texas rolled out Restorative Discipline in schools.She was also employed with the Minnesota Department of Corrections – Restorative Justice Unit, assisting with victim-offender dialogue and prison Circle programming for inmates and staff.

In 2015, Kris returned to the family ranch and in 2016 married a man she went to high school with.They added horses, dogs, sheep and a donkey to Miner Ranch.She took some time away from Restorative Justice and focused on managing 960 acres of grassland pastures.In 2018 she returned to Restorative Justice at the invitation of the Indian Country Child Trauma Center & Tribal Youth Programs.She retuned to training and consultation work, assisting others with Restorative Justice & Peacemaking Circles.In 2018, she assisted with trainings in Alaska, California, Wisconsin and South Dakota.She is working on Restorative Justice efforts in South Dakota, this included taking the necessary steps to reinstate her Licensed Professional Counselor license and open Prairie Hills Counseling as a business partner to Circle Space Services.