MEET THE FOUNDERS

Amber Harris 

Co-Founder

Amber South Harris is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Restorative Justice Movement (RJM), a nonprofit dedicated to community healing and equity-based justice. Since its founding in 2014, Amber has led RJM’s organizational strategy, operations, and development, positioning it as a key regional hub for restorative practices. She is a seasoned consultant and facilitator, specializing in trauma-informed care, culturally-rooted healing, and community accountability frameworks. Amber provides guidance to school systems, government agencies, grassroots leaders, and nonprofits looking to implement restorative justice and peer support programming. Advocate & Community Educator Amber is a powerful speaker and community educator. She has presented at major forums such as the Washington University Model UN (WUMUNS) conference and has engaged public audiences in discussions around trauma healing, public safety, and justice reform. In September 2023, she was honored with a City of St. Louis proclamation by State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins for her unwavering leadership in community healing and restorative outreach. Community Development Initiatives Amber has helped lead RJM’s initiatives across North St. Louis, with a focus on culturally-relevant healing and environmental wellness. Her leadership brought to life a community garden in partnership with Gateway Greening and Washington University, providing space for local growth, reconnection, and education. She also leads peer support and harm reduction outreach in neighborhoods such as The Ville, supporting recovery programming, healing circles, and wellness events. Education & Personal Journey. Her journey fuels her work in mental health, substance use education, peer mentorship, and collective accountability

DeAndre Harris-Bey

Founder

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, DeAndre Harris-Bey is a living testament to the power of personal transformation and community restoration. With 27 years in recovery and a history that includes incarceration, DeAndre has dedicated his life to turning pain into purpose. Today, he stands as a respected voice in criminal justice reform, co-founding the Restorative Justice Movement to shift systems and minds toward healing, accountability, and reintegration.

DeAndre’s work is deeply rooted in lived experience and professional expertise. As a Certified Criminal Justice Professional (CCJP) and Co-Occurring Specialist, he has spent decades counseling individuals entangled in addiction and the justice system. His work spans multiple respected organizations—including Peoples Hopewell Clinic, Concordance Academy, and Preferred Family Healthcare—where he leads with empathy, evidence-based practices, and an unshakable belief in human potential.

Whether facilitating therapeutic groups, designing re-entry strategies, or mentoring clients through recovery and reintegration, DeAndre brings a rare combination of clinical training and grassroots wisdom. He is a trained educator in MATRIX, MRT, and HEAT curricula, and is known for his dynamic leadership in group settings where he teaches the dangers of criminal thinking and the pathway to personal empowerment.

A tireless volunteer and a proud member of the Missouri State Board of Probation and Parole, DeAndre’s story inspires not just hope—but action. His mission is clear: to dismantle cycles of incarceration, uplift marginalized voices, and cultivate a justice system rooted in restoration, not retribution