Victim Care

Restorative justice seeks to meet the needs of both victims and offenders. These articles discuss practice issues and working with victims.

Clergy sexual abuse: A cry for restorative justice: by Lisa Rea: At this hour, I would guess that some around the world are weary of the news stories of abuse that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent weeks. But to me, it's a reminder of how far we have to go to heal the injuries suffered by the victims (survivors) of abuse.
More kumbaya, fewer criminals?: from Heather Horn's post on Atlantic Wire: Do criminals just need to talk and get some perspective? Yes, the idea seems fluffy, but it looks like some types of talk actually work. "Restorative justice"--in which convicted criminals actually meet their victims--is rapidly gaining ground in the UK. In one case recounted by Libby Brooks in the Guardian, the victim of a violent burglary wound up shouting at his attacker, telling him "he had crushed every belief [the victim] had that [he] could handle [himself] and protect [his] family." For the attacker, "this was the moment his perspective shifted irrevocably." Despite a history of criminality, he has not reoffended in the past eight years, and is in fact working as a "restorative conference facilitator."
Mugging victim Zoe Harrison 'helped to recover' by meeting her attacker Aaron Burns via restorative justice: from Nick Harding's article in The Mirror: When Zoe Harrison first came across Aaron Burns he held a knife to her throat and battered her so brutally he was spattered in her blood. The last time Zoe, 26, came face to face with her mugger, she left him sobbing for forgiveness. This is the power of restorative justice - making criminals say sorry to victims.
Death row lets victims' families down: from Jessica Reed's article in guardian.co.uk: Most debates about the criminal justice system and restorative justice are criticised for not focusing enough on the impact that violence has on victims and their families. Those objections multiply tenfold when the issue at hand is capital punishment: bring up the subject and many death penalty supporters will say that executions are the only way to meet survivors' needs for justice and closure, and that to oppose capital punishment is to be anti-victim. "What if it was your own son or mother?" they ask. "Wouldn't you want the perpetrator die at the hands of our justice system?" As it turns out, the truth is rather different. During last week's fourth world congress against death penalty in Geneva, the voices of murder victims' families painted a picture seldom seen in the media. For a variety of reasons, a growing number of families do not support capital punishment. However, all families face decades of legal appeals over the execution of the perpetrator – a truly agonising wait for anyone seeking closure.
Giving crime victims the right to meet with their offenders: Virginia legislative developments: by Lisa Rea Should a crime victim have a right to meet his/her offender? It is very good to see that the Virginia State Legislature is considering the benefits that come with victim offender dialogue and restorative justice programming in general. According to Associated Press reporter Dena Potter's article in the Washington Examiner the proposed legislation is HB 913, authored by Delegate Robert B. Bell in the Virginia Legislature.
Giving crime victims the right to meet with their offenders: Virginia legislative developments: by Lisa Rea Should a crime victim have a right to meet his/her offender? It is very good to see that the Virginia State Legislature is considering the benefits that come with victim offender dialogue and restorative justice programming in general. According to Associated Press reporter Dena Potter's article in the Washington Examiner the proposed legislation is HB 913, authored by Delegate Robert B. Bell in the Virginia Legislature.
As restorative justice practitioners, hard work needed regarding victims: Five things to do: from Kris Miner's blog Restorative Justice and Circles: I want to offer some lessons for people who do restorative justice. These lessons are for working with victims in either a victim-offender dialogue or a talking circle. I think its important to keep up our compassion towards victims skills. To really do our best, I have 5 things to work really hard at:
Restorative justice offers an opportunity, not a guarantee, for healing: from Lorenn Walker's blog: “Not everyone’s wounds will heal” after being victimized by crime, an experienced judge says. This is true. Some people will never heal. Restorative justice is not a panacea that will heal every single person’s wounds suffered from being a crime victim. Restorative justice offers only the opportunity for healing, not a guarantee, but we know from an abundance of research that restorative justice helps many people.
Law school student asks: would victims really want restorative justice?: by Lisa Rea I recently gave a speech at UC Davis Law School. Before the class the professor shared a comment made to him by one of the students in his class. A number of students had already explored restorative justice, perhaps having heard of it previously since the law school had hosted a number of events on the subject including bringing in guest speakers like me to speak in a classroom setting. The student said this: "Restorative justice might be a good concept for the person who committed the crime since they may be able to understand the pain they caused that they might not otherwise be unaware of. However, for victims I think this is a waste of time. It probably just stirs up emotions unnecessarily and the session may turn into a shouting and crying match. But it still doesn’t change the victims’ pain or the harm that was caused."
Putting victims at the heart of justice: from Juliet Lyon's column in guardian.co.uk: Promises to put victims at the heart of the justice system sound good but can have a hollow ring. Too often people find themselves lost in a maze of unfamiliar, complex and bureaucratic criminal justice process and procedures. Only to emerge feeling that their account of being harmed has not really been heard or, at least, not properly understood. So a youth justice system which satisfies 90% of crime victims and substantially reduces reoffending rates is well worth looking into.
Muhammad and the 'closure' myth: from Naseem Rakha's column in the Washington Post: ....In the past decade, 24 U.S. prisons have begun victim-offender dialogue programs. These programs give victims' survivors opportunities to meet with, talk to and ask questions of the offenders, often questions only the offender can answer. According to John Wilson, director of Just Alternatives, a group that trains prison personnel in the dialogue program, this victim-led initiative has brought a sense of power and renewal to the lives of survivors. "Survivors can go through years of therapy, but until they have the opportunity to talk with their offenders, their healing often feels unfinished," he said.
Lisa Rea interviews Stephen Watt: by Lisa Rea: The following interview is with Stephen Watt, a former Wyoming state trooper and two term state legislator who was shot multiple times by a fleeing bank robber. Lisa Rea's interview focuses on how the impact of a severely violent crime continues 20 years later. Mr. Watt has met with the offender, forgiven him and a friendly relationship has grown up between them. Nevertheless, he continues to suffer. Can restorative justice open doors for further healing in a victim of violent crime who is suffering continuing, severe trauma?
Restorative justice and victim services collaboration: from Howard Zehr's entry on Restorative Justice Blog: ....I had a number of energizing engagements coordinated by AUT’s Restorative Justice Centre. The last engagement was a keynote for the national Victim Support Conference, held in Wellington. I had been asked to speak about victims’ justice needs, how restorative justice seeks to address them, and how the restorative justice and victim support communities could connect better with one another. I was encouraged by the group’ enthusiasm for engaging with restorative justice. In fact, in at least one area in the South Island, such collaboration has already begun between youth justice and victim support.The question in New Zealand now is how to move this forward in both the youth justice and adult justice spheres.
Effects of crime on kids underestimated: from Thabiso Thakali's article on iol.co.za: ...."The significance of this study was to capture unreported cases of crime and victimisation against young people," she said. Leoschut said the study found that different types of crimes led to distinct forms of post-traumatic stress disorder among youths. "A lot of them suffer from psychological stress and become more aggressive after being victimised."
Victim Support workers told to ignore political comments: From the article on 3news.co.nz: Volunteers at a Victim Support conference this weekend were urged to ignore the "victims versus offenders" debate from politicians.... Director of Rethinking Crime and Punishment Kim Workman said this kind of "oppositional thinking" was counterproductive and unhelpful. "We must reject any proposition that potentially divides us. "Many of you work with both victims and offenders, in the areas of family violence, child abuse, restorative justice, and prisoner reintegration. "Our success depends on our ability to work effectively within the justice system, across the board, in order to reduce victimisation."
Handing back the conflict: by Martin Wright. A thought adapted from what one police officer said at a conference yesterday: When there is a conflict, the conventional approach is to separate the people and tell them what to do; but in the restorative approach, the police officer (or teacher, or mediator) brings them together and asks them what they will do.
Restorative Justice and Protective Behaviours: a perfect match
Treasures: Victims Voice, Safe Justice and Lemonade
Victims of crime: Meeting with a killer: An interview of Ellen Halbert by Lisa Rea in the current issue of Freedom from Fear Magazine, published by UNICRI. In 1986, Ellen Halbert was raped, stabbed, beaten with a hammer and left for dead in her home in Texas. During her recovery, she began to speak out about victims’ rights and what needed to change in our “offender-focused” criminal justice system. In 1991, she was appointed by Governor Ann Richards as the first victim to serve on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the board that oversees the massive adult criminal justice system in Texas....
Theory of trouble: by Dan Van Ness The very interesting website Restorative Resources has this great quote from the organization's director: "If, by the time a student has graduated high school, they have not gotten into significant trouble at least three times and found a positive way to resolve it each time, I suggest that their education is incomplete." --Amos Clifford As the father of a recent high school graduate, I'm not sure that I would have wished for my son to get into significant trouble three out of the four years he was there, but I get Clifford's point.

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Navigation RJ Office Kinds of Programmes Practice Issues Working Respectfully and Responsively with Victims Restorative Justice in Juvenile Matters Restorative Justice in Schools Programme Administration and Funding Programme Policy Manuals Building Support For Restorative Justice Training Evaluation Real People, Real Stories Programme Examples Kinds of Crimes Accreditation Staying Restorative	Info Victim Care Restorative justice seeks to meet the needs of both victims and offenders. These articles discuss practice issues and working with victims. Clergy sexual abuse: A cry for restorative justice by Lisa Rea: At this hour, I would guess that some around the world are weary of the news stories of abuse that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent weeks. But to me, it's a reminder of how far we have to go to heal the injuries suffered by the victims (survivors) of abuse. More kumbaya, fewer criminals? from Heather Horn's post on Atlantic Wire: Do criminals just need to talk and get some perspective? Yes, the idea seems fluffy, but it looks like some types of talk actually work. "Restorative justice"--in which convicted criminals actually meet their victims--is rapidly gaining ground in the UK. In one case recounted by Libby Brooks in the Guardian, the victim of a violent burglary wound up shouting at his attacker, telling him "he had crushed every belief [the victim] had that [he] could handle [himself] and protect [his] family." For the attacker, "this was the moment his perspective shifted irrevocably." Despite a history of criminality, he has not reoffended in the past eight years, and is in fact working as a "restorative conference facilitator." Mugging victim Zoe Harrison 'helped to recover' by meeting her attacker Aaron Burns via restorative justice from Nick Harding's article in The Mirror: When Zoe Harrison first came across Aaron Burns he held a knife to her throat and battered her so brutally he was spattered in her blood. The last time Zoe, 26, came face to face with her mugger, she left him sobbing for forgiveness. This is the power of restorative justice - making criminals say sorry to victims. Death row lets victims' families down from Jessica Reed's article in guardian.co.uk: Most debates about the criminal justice system and restorative justice are criticised for not focusing enough on the impact that violence has on victims and their families. Those objections multiply tenfold when the issue at hand is capital punishment: bring up the subject and many death penalty supporters will say that executions are the only way to meet survivors' needs for justice and closure, and that to oppose capital punishment is to be anti-victim. "What if it was your own son or mother?" they ask. "Wouldn't you want the perpetrator die at the hands of our justice system?" As it turns out, the truth is rather different. During last week's fourth world congress against death penalty in Geneva, the voices of murder victims' families painted a picture seldom seen in the media. For a variety of reasons, a growing number of families do not support capital punishment. However, all families face decades of legal appeals over the execution of the perpetrator – a truly agonising wait for anyone seeking closure. Giving crime victims the right to meet with their offenders: Virginia legislative developments by Lisa Rea Should a crime victim have a right to meet his/her offender? It is very good to see that the Virginia State Legislature is considering the benefits that come with victim offender dialogue and restorative justice programming in general. According to Associated Press reporter Dena Potter's article in the Washington Examiner the proposed legislation is HB 913, authored by Delegate Robert B. Bell in the Virginia Legislature. Giving crime victims the right to meet with their offenders: Virginia legislative developments by Lisa Rea Should a crime victim have a right to meet his/her offender? It is very good to see that the Virginia State Legislature is considering the benefits that come with victim offender dialogue and restorative justice programming in general. According to Associated Press reporter Dena Potter's article in the Washington Examiner the proposed legislation is HB 913, authored by Delegate Robert B. Bell in the Virginia Legislature. As restorative justice practitioners, hard work needed regarding victims: Five things to do from Kris Miner's blog Restorative Justice and Circles: I want to offer some lessons for people who do restorative justice. These lessons are for working with victims in either a victim-offender dialogue or a talking circle. I think its important to keep up our compassion towards victims skills. To really do our best, I have 5 things to work really hard at: Restorative justice offers an opportunity, not a guarantee, for healing from Lorenn Walker's blog: “Not everyone’s wounds will heal” after being victimized by crime, an experienced judge says. This is true. Some people will never heal. Restorative justice is not a panacea that will heal every single person’s wounds suffered from being a crime victim. Restorative justice offers only the opportunity for healing, not a guarantee, but we know from an abundance of research that restorative justice helps many people. Law school student asks: would victims really want restorative justice? by Lisa Rea I recently gave a speech at UC Davis Law School. Before the class the professor shared a comment made to him by one of the students in his class. A number of students had already explored restorative justice, perhaps having heard of it previously since the law school had hosted a number of events on the subject including bringing in guest speakers like me to speak in a classroom setting. The student said this: "Restorative justice might be a good concept for the person who committed the crime since they may be able to understand the pain they caused that they might not otherwise be unaware of. However, for victims I think this is a waste of time. It probably just stirs up emotions unnecessarily and the session may turn into a shouting and crying match. But it still doesn’t change the victims’ pain or the harm that was caused." Putting victims at the heart of justice from Juliet Lyon's column in guardian.co.uk: Promises to put victims at the heart of the justice system sound good but can have a hollow ring. Too often people find themselves lost in a maze of unfamiliar, complex and bureaucratic criminal justice process and procedures. Only to emerge feeling that their account of being harmed has not really been heard or, at least, not properly understood. So a youth justice system which satisfies 90% of crime victims and substantially reduces reoffending rates is well worth looking into. Muhammad and the 'closure' myth from Naseem Rakha's column in the Washington Post: ....In the past decade, 24 U.S. prisons have begun victim-offender dialogue programs. These programs give victims' survivors opportunities to meet with, talk to and ask questions of the offenders, often questions only the offender can answer. According to John Wilson, director of Just Alternatives, a group that trains prison personnel in the dialogue program, this victim-led initiative has brought a sense of power and renewal to the lives of survivors. "Survivors can go through years of therapy, but until they have the opportunity to talk with their offenders, their healing often feels unfinished," he said. Lisa Rea interviews Stephen Watt by Lisa Rea: The following interview is with Stephen Watt, a former Wyoming state trooper and two term state legislator who was shot multiple times by a fleeing bank robber. Lisa Rea's interview focuses on how the impact of a severely violent crime continues 20 years later. Mr. Watt has met with the offender, forgiven him and a friendly relationship has grown up between them. Nevertheless, he continues to suffer. Can restorative justice open doors for further healing in a victim of violent crime who is suffering continuing, severe trauma? Restorative justice and victim services collaboration from Howard Zehr's entry on Restorative Justice Blog: ....I had a number of energizing engagements coordinated by AUT’s Restorative Justice Centre. The last engagement was a keynote for the national Victim Support Conference, held in Wellington. I had been asked to speak about victims’ justice needs, how restorative justice seeks to address them, and how the restorative justice and victim support communities could connect better with one another. I was encouraged by the group’ enthusiasm for engaging with restorative justice. In fact, in at least one area in the South Island, such collaboration has already begun between youth justice and victim support.The question in New Zealand now is how to move this forward in both the youth justice and adult justice spheres. Effects of crime on kids underestimated from Thabiso Thakali's article on iol.co.za: ...."The significance of this study was to capture unreported cases of crime and victimisation against young people," she said. Leoschut said the study found that different types of crimes led to distinct forms of post-traumatic stress disorder among youths. "A lot of them suffer from psychological stress and become more aggressive after being victimised." Victim Support workers told to ignore political comments From the article on 3news.co.nz: Volunteers at a Victim Support conference this weekend were urged to ignore the "victims versus offenders" debate from politicians.... Director of Rethinking Crime and Punishment Kim Workman said this kind of "oppositional thinking" was counterproductive and unhelpful. "We must reject any proposition that potentially divides us. "Many of you work with both victims and offenders, in the areas of family violence, child abuse, restorative justice, and prisoner reintegration. "Our success depends on our ability to work effectively within the justice system, across the board, in order to reduce victimisation." Handing back the conflict by Martin Wright. A thought adapted from what one police officer said at a conference yesterday: When there is a conflict, the conventional approach is to separate the people and tell them what to do; but in the restorative approach, the police officer (or teacher, or mediator) brings them together and asks them what they will do. Restorative Justice and Protective Behaviours: a perfect match Treasures: Victims Voice, Safe Justice and Lemonade Victims of crime: Meeting with a killer An interview of Ellen Halbert by Lisa Rea in the current issue of Freedom from Fear Magazine, published by UNICRI. In 1986, Ellen Halbert was raped, stabbed, beaten with a hammer and left for dead in her home in Texas. During her recovery, she began to speak out about victims’ rights and what needed to change in our “offender-focused” criminal justice system. In 1991, she was appointed by Governor Ann Richards as the first victim to serve on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the board that oversees the massive adult criminal justice system in Texas.... Theory of trouble by Dan Van Ness The very interesting website Restorative Resources has this great quote from the organization's director: "If, by the time a student has graduated high school, they have not gotten into significant trouble at least three times and found a positive way to resolve it each time, I suggest that their education is incomplete." --Amos Clifford As the father of a recent high school graduate, I'm not sure that I would have wished for my son to get into significant trouble three out of the four years he was there, but I get Clifford's point. Next 20 items » [1] 2 3 4 ... 6 Document Actions RSS feed Send this Print this	Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East North America and Caribbean Pacific Search 9932 publications on restorative justice Recent RJOB Comments Oakland as a RJ city? Jul 29, 2010 Trauma Jul 29, 2010 Psych Reports to BPT board Jul 29, 2010 More… Slide Show: What is Restorative Justice Click to view a slideshow discussing the definition of restorative justice. Jul 21, 2010 Promoting Restorative Justice in Panama Jul 28, 2010 Raising Community Awareness in Swaziland Jul 28, 2010 Exploring alternatives in Finland Jul 28, 2010 PF Rwanda Receives Grant for Reconciliation Work Jun 27, 2010 Restorative Justice in the Community.