About Us

Unfolding Restoration’s founding story begins in 1995, when its founder John Winkelman was incarcerated at the age of 19 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. That reality was marked by profound hopelessness. There was no expectation of release – only the belief that life would end behind prison walls. Yet even within those circumstances, a choice emerged: to seek reconnection with his authentic self and become the person he was always meant to be, despite past actions and the harm caused.

Every available opportunity for rehabilitation was pursued – not as a means to secure release, but because accountability and personal growth were the right path forward. The work was about taking responsibility for his life and contributing something meaningful, even from within prison.

In 2015, John was introduced to restorative justice, a framework entirely unfamiliar after years of exposure to a punitive system centered on punishment rather than healing. Restorative justice revealed a different way – one grounded in accountability, empathy, and the possibility of making meaningful amends – and required deep personal integration. This approach resonated and became a guiding calling.

John spent years engaging in rigorous self-reflection, grappling honestly with responsibility for harm caused, and learning to sit with discomfort, grief, and accountability without defensiveness. Restorative justice was not simply studied as a theory – it was practiced internally, shaping how he understood himself, his actions, and his relationship to others. This period of inner work laid the foundation for authentic engagement with restorative practices and ensured that any future facilitation would be rooted in lived experience rather than abstract principle.

Over the next decade, he deepened his understanding of restorative justice practice, facilitated victim-offender education groups, trained service dogs for Guide Dogs of America, and pursued higher education – graduating summa cum laude from the University of California, Irvine. These efforts were never about proving worthiness for release; they were about becoming a better human being and giving back wherever possible.

In an extraordinary act of grace, Governor Gavin Newsom commuted the life without parole sentence in recognition of this rehabilitative transformation. On March 21, 2025, after nearly 30 years of incarceration, John returned home to the community.

Since release, life has remained centered on service. John was accepted into the University of San Diego’s Master of Arts in Restorative Justice program, to be completed in 2026, and has traveled to Sacramento to advocate for policy changes addressing mass incarceration. His work continues to focus on community-based healing and systems transformation.

In December 2025, Unfolding Restoration was founded as a fiscally sponsored project of the 501(c)(3) Nested Integral Coaching Constellation. At its core, Unfolding Restoration exists to give back. Using restorative justice principles and the Enneagram, the organization centers harm while restoring dignity – working with people who have experienced harm and with individuals who are currently incarcerated, supporting their movement toward accountability, empathy, and healing.

Unfolding Restoration is grounded in the belief that when people reconnect with their authentic selves, they are capable of forming meaningful relationships, meeting their needs in healthy ways, and contributing positively to their communities. When needs are met and community is strong, future harm becomes less likely.

This is the work of Unfolding Restoration: repairing harm to the extent possible and restoring communities – together.

Support for Unfolding Restoration makes this work possible. Contributions directly sustain restorative justice programming that centers accountability, dignity, and healing in communities and within prisons. Donations help train facilitators, support survivor-centered healing spaces, expand programming for incarcerated individuals, and build pathways that reduce future harm. 

Whether through a one-time gift or ongoing support, donors are investing in safer, healthier communities rooted in connection rather than punishment. Please give today and stand with us as we work to repair harm, restore dignity, and rebuild community – together.

Unfolding Restoration envisions a world where every person knows themselves as whole, unbroken, and worthy of belonging – a world where individuals come home to their authentic selves, connect with others in vulnerability, and build communities rooted in dignity, accountability, and joy.

Unfolding Restoration exists to center the needs of people harmed by violence while supporting accountability and transformation for those who have caused harm. We work with survivors of harm in the community and with incarcerated individuals who have created harm, cultivating self-observation, reflection, and authentic connection through restorative practices that foster healing, accountability, and meaningful relationships. Our work seeks to reduce cycles of harm and support communities impacted by violence in moving toward safety, dignity, and collective well-being.