Babysitter jailed for killing toddler is freed after retrial
from Helen Pidd's article in the Guardian:
A babysitter who served three years in prison for killing a toddler was cleared of murder yesterday after a retrial. Suzanne Holdsworth, 38, of Leeds, wept as she was acquitted of murder and manslaughter by a jury at Teesside crown court after a long campaign to clear her name.
She was jailed for life in March 2005 after being found guilty of murdering two-year-old Kyle Fisher, who died from severe brain damage while in her care in 2004. But the court of appeal overturned her conviction this year after an investigation by the BBC's Newsnight raised doubts about medical evidence at the first trial.
Inside Chowchilla Women's Prison: Locked up, reaching out
from Norma Yuriar's story for KMPH TV:
Behind the locked doors of the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla there's a waiting list to join a unique group. It's called the Long Termers Organization (LTO). Prisoners must be discipline free for year before they are accepted.
"We do have remorse for what we have done, we are taking responsibility and we are doing our best to give back what we have taken away," Inmate Charlann Geronimo said.
"It means a lot to the victim. It's the beginning of the healing process when the offender takes accountability for their actions and offers some type of remorse," Tina Figueroa with Madera County Victim Services said.
filed under: Restitution, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:USA, Prison
Another warning about US prison policy: Justice Kennedy laments the state of prisons in California, U.S.
from Carol J. Williams' story in the LA Times:
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy criticized California sentencing policies and crowded prisons Wednesday night, calling the influence that unionized prison guards had in passing the three-strikes law "sick."
In an otherwise courtly and humorous address to the Los Angeles legal community, Kennedy expressed obvious dismay over the state of corrections and rehabilitation in the country. He said U.S. sentences are eight times longer than those issued by European courts.
Public speaking tips: Reaching everyone in your audience when speaking about restorative justice
from Kris Miner's blog:
From Seth Godin's blog:
The work you do when you spread the word or run an ad or invent a policy is likely aimed at one of these four groups.
- Strangers are customers to be, but not yet
- Critics are those that would speak ill of you, or need to be converted
- Friends are those that might have given permission, or even buy now and then
- Fans are members of your tribe, supporters and insiders
You already know the truth: can’t please all these groups at once.
As a restorative justice practitioner or advocate, you maybe asked to speak to a group, that includes all the groups mentioned above. Godin’s categories, reminded me of a recent post, not everyone views restorative justice equally.
Surrender Conference
Surrender, a Christian conference discussing social justice issues in Victoria, Australia, will feature a restorative justice workshop stream. The workshops will explore a restorative response to crime and working with those who have committed crimes.
filed under: Event
New Items in the RJ Online Database
New additions to the RJ Online research database over the last week covered several issues related to theories of retribution, reparations, education, bullying, indigenous justice, and victim impact statements.
FACE circles: A well rounded opportunity in Canada
from the article by Sharon Weatherall in the Free Press:
In North Simcoe people can find resolution out of court through the Forum of Accountability in a Circle Experience (FACE) -a Huronia Restorative Justice Project since 1998. The Midland program was part a worldwide revival of the native traditional way of dealing with offensive behavior -and it works.
A community circle is an alternative to traditional court proceedings where offending conduct is resolved by having the offender, the victim and supporters of each sit together in a circle to opening discuss an incident and work to reach a consensus on how to resolve the harm done.
I Congreso Nacional de Justicia Restaurativa y Oralidad: Hacia una justicia penal de intervención mínima
Sponsored by several academic and governmental entities in Mexico, the I Congreso Nacional de Justicia Restaurativa y Oralidad: Hacia una justicia penal de intervención mínima seeks to explore the use of restorative processes and alternative sentences in context of recent changes to the constitution offering more support for such processes.
filed under: Event
Anti-crime bills deserved to die in Canada
from the comment by Elizabeth Woods in Times Colonist:
The editorial on prorogation (Jan. 5) mentions that among the bills that died with this parliamentary session were many parts of "Harper's tough on crime agenda."
This is the one good result of prorogation as these bills contained very bad criminal law.
Stephen Harper is not "tough on crime"-- he is soft in the head on crime, preferring to build more prisons -- the most expensive, least effective form of influencing behaviour -- instead of investing in preventive measures, such as early childhood care and education, and the alleviation of poverty.
filed under: Country:Canada, Policy, Region: North America and Caribbean, Politics
Denver Public Schools sings new tune on calming kids
by Burt Hubbard in DenverPost.com:
....For the past several years, North has been in the forefront of a new Denver Public Schools policy that emphasizes intervention and mediation to resolve fights and disruptions rather than out-of- school suspensions and expulsions.
The session, geared toward letting students know their rights, was sponsored by Padres & Jovenes Unidos. The group's 2005 report charged that the district suspended too many students for nonviolent offenses and disproportionately targeted minorities. It helped lead to the policy changes.
"It's important that every student know their rights," junior Brandon Garcia told the students after leading them in a Denver Broncos version of the wave.
