Christian critiques of the penal system
from the article by L. Lynette Parker in Baylor's Christian Reflections issue on Prison:
....While approaching the issues from different theological and philosophical traditions, the above authors nevertheless agree on the problems with contemporary criminal justice and together begin to trace the outlines of a solution. The problems: institutional forces benefit from a destructive status quo; the public view of prisoners makes citizens indifferent to their plight; and an emphasis on individual responsibility fails to take seriously the systemic injustice that prisoners face. The solutions: remember that prisoners, too, are made in the image of God; address the systemic causes of crime; and learn to love the people touched by crime.
Feb 09, 2012 Religion, Correspondent:Lynette Parker, Community, Biblical
Spring Intensive 2012
The Spring Intensive 2012 offered by the International Institute for Restorative Practices will consist of a two-day immersion experience in a restorative school culture and two days of professional development in restorative practices.
Feb 09, 2012 Event
Divine justice as restorative justice
from the article by Chris Marshall in Baylor's Christian Reflections issue on Prison:
The word “retribution” (from the Latin retribuere) simply means “repayment”—the giving back to someone of what they deserve, whether in terms of reimbursement, reward, or reproof. Usually the term is used in the negative sense of punishment for wrongful deeds rather than in the positive sense of reward for good behavior. When the word is used in isolation, it tends to evoke the idea of vengeance or retaliation. When it is paired with the word “justice” however, it implies a more measured delivery of punishment as due recompense for wrongdoing.
Feb 08, 2012 Retribution, Religion, Theory
Restorative justice: The new way forward
from Lisa Rea's article in Baylor University's Christian Refelction issue on Prison:
.... Some might argue that our prison system was never meant to positively affect victims and communities. I will not analyze the original purpose of prisons in society, but we know that prisons have become something far different than what they were intended to be. Most societies have incarcerated individuals who were deemed to be a violent threat to others, but the United States prison system today has grown immensely beyond this rationale. As a result, the American state and federal prison population has expanded dramatically.
Feb 07, 2012 Correspondent:Lisa Rea, Practice, Victim, Policy, Politics
My experience with the Sycamore Tree Project
from the article by a British prison chaplain:
I’ve been facilitating the Sycamore Tree courses in my prison now for about eighteen months. Sycamore Tree is the Restorative Justice programme run by Prison Fellowship (http://www.pfi.org/). It is a six week course which runs one afternoon a week.
Over such time you would not expect very much to happen. How can you change a person’s outlook on their life in six short afternoons?
Feb 06, 2012 Country:England&Wales, Region: Europe, Other, Victim, Prison
Accountability closer to home
by Susan Sharpe
Last Thanksgiving weekend, I opened a Wikipedia page and saw a banner asking me to help pay for the service I was about to use. I gulped. They’d hooked me. Having turned to Wikipedia many, many times, I finally anted up and sent a contribution to help pay for what I've been using.
I've never seen such a banner on RJ Online. Here, there is just a box that says, "RJ Online is a free service to anyone interested in the topic. If you find the site useful and are able to do so, please consider making a tax-deductible (US) donation to PFI."
Feb 03, 2012 RJ Online
Martin Luther King and life after hate
from the entry by Evelyn Zellerer on Peace of the Circle:
....“The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscience that reconciliation becomes a reality.” [Martin Luther King]
Feb 02, 2012 Policy, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:USA, Case:Hate Crime
Review: A community-based approach to the reduction of sexual re-offending: circles of support and accountability
Often sex offenders are isolated people who have difficulty making relationships, and when they come out of prison the double stigma of prison and the nature of their offence isolates them still more – an extra hardship for them, and an increased risk that they will revert to their previous behaviour. So the idea of forming a circle of support for them is both humane and a safeguard. It does not fall under the usual definition of restorative justice, because it does not include dialogue with the victim, which would in many cases be unwanted and/or inappropriate. It does however restore or even improve the situation of the offender, and it involves members of the community.
Feb 01, 2012 Case:Abuse, Country:England&Wales, Book Review, Practice, Correspondent:Martin Wright, Region: Europe, Case:Sexual, Policy, Circle
How restorative justice can empower victims in serious crimes - two cases of rape
from the post by Jonathan Bartley in Ekklesia:
A frequently repeated myth about restorative justice is that it can’t work for “serious” or “violent crimes”. As restorative practices become more widely available however, this myth is being busted. Its role in shifting the power imbalance around crime towards the victim is becoming increasingly apparent. Its ability to help victims overcome the fear of crime and move on, in a way that more punitive practices often don't, is also being appreciated. Two examples that have been cited recently involve cases of rape.
Jan 31, 2012 Case:Violence, Case:Sexual
Young vandals ordered to put Somerset factory damage right
from the article in the Western Gazette:
A gang of youths who broke into a Castle Cary factory have been ordered to make amends by washing site windows and picking up rubbish by a restorative justice panel.
A three-month police campaign which tracked down 14 children involved with causing £1,000 of damage to the Torbay Road factory ended last month.
Jan 30, 2012 Juvenile, Case:Burglary, Country:England&Wales, Practice, Region: Europe
