Reconstruction of Violated Autonomy and Agency

Sor Juana's life illustrates how punitive institutional control—whether through punishment, surveillance, or enforced obedience—violates autonomy as deeply as the original harm. Her eventual submission to institutional demands under pressure represents a loss of agency that no punishment of her adversaries could restore. Restorative justice frameworks recognize that true healing requires victims to regain agency in determining what justice means and what accountability looks like. This concept emphasizes that victims should not have justice imposed upon them by distant authorities, but should participate actively in designing responses to harm. Practically, this means victim-centered processes where survivors determine whether they want to meet with the harmer, what questions they need answered, what changes they need to see, and whether offered accountability feels sufficient. Reconstruction of agency also applies to those who caused harm: genuine accountability requires their active participation in making amends, understanding impact, and committing to change—not passive punishment. Sor Juana's intellectual autonomy, her right to pursue knowledge on her own terms, models the kind of agency that restorative justice must protect and restore for all parties.