DNA testing works, but not if we fail to utilize it
from Sam Millsap's commentary on Chron.com:
On March 24, Texas plans to execute Henry Watkins Skinner even though untested DNA evidence could show we've got the wrong man. DNA testing could resolve doubts about Skinner's guilt in the 1993 Pampa slayings of his girlfriend and her two sons, but the state inexplicably has blocked that testing for more than a decade.
President Sirleaf not bound by timeline on TRC Report, says Minister
from James Butty's article on VOANews.com:
Tuesday this week marked 90 days since Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) submitted its final edited reported to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Under Article 10, Section 48 of the TRC act, the president is to report to the national legislature within three months after receiving the TRC report and on a quarterly basis after the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
Information minister Cletus Sieh said while President Sirleaf is concerned about the report being implemented, she is not bound by some timeline.
filed under: Country:Liberia, National Reconciliation
End cycle of violence
from Clementina M. Chery's letter to the Boston Globe editor:
Milton J. Valencia’s March 5 Metro article “No trend in new cycle of violence’’ is yet another example of the narrow media portrayal of violence in Dorchester. The recent “cycle’’ of violence is not new; rather, it has a continuous and deeply rooted presence in the community. By depicting the recent homicides as new and random events, Valencia overlooks the fact that violence is a chronic public health problem in this community and that there are actions that can be taken to prevent violence.
filed under: Community
Doing Restorative Justice in Europe: Established Practices and Innovative Programmes
The sixth biennial conference of the European Forum of Restorative Justice marks the organisation's tenth anniversary. To mark the event, the conference -- Doing Restorative Justice in Europe: Established Practices and Innovative Programmes -- will explore the development of restorative justice in the region and look ahead to new possibilities.
filed under: Event
Smyth victim in Brady resign call
from the article on BBC News:
A victim of serial abuser Fr Brendan Smyth has called on the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland to resign.
Cardinal Sean Brady has admitted he was at meetings in 1975 where two abused children signed vows of silence over their complaints against Fr Smyth.
On Monday, a victim of Fr Smyth called Samantha told the BBC the church needed to "root out the rot and start from the top".
"This is not a witch hunt, this is about what is right," she added.
filed under: Policy, Country:Ireland, Case:Sexual
From schools to prisons: Disciplinary policy brings incarceration
from Brian Wells, David Dutschke, Joseph Phelps and Walter Jones' article on Courier-Journal.com:
One of the most alarming trends affecting our children today is what has become known as the “school to prison pipeline,” a term used to describe an all too common reality for poor-performing students. First they are academically unsuccessful, then their misbehavior results in school disciplinary action, then their misbehavior puts them into the juvenile justice system, then they leave school prematurely and eventually end up as incarcerated adults.
Nationally, students who do not graduate are three times more likely to be incarcerated.
We are losing too many young people down this pipeline for the good of our souls and of our society. The problem calls for the creation of coordinated and creative approaches by our court systems and our school systems.
East Lansing advocate: Jury award should impact bullying
from Kathleen Lavey's article in LSJ.com
A jury verdict that found a Michigan school district liable for $800,000 in damages to a student who was the victim of bullies should reinforce that bullying can't be tolerated, an East Lansing advocate says.
"This really should be a call to schools that, in the eyes of our legal system, bullying is something that can no longer be overlooked," Kevin Epling said.
Is violence ever justified?
The inaugural annual lecture hosted by the Forgiveness Project will feature Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The event will include a panel discussion featuring speakers who have been involved in and suffered from violence.
filed under: Event
Earby teens say ‘sorry’ for church vandalism
from Chris Hopper's article in the Lancashire Telegraph:
Three teenagers who vandalised a church have apologised for their actions.
In youth court, the teens admitted smashing windows at All Saints Church, Earby, causing £15,000 worth of damage in September.
They also pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to cause damage at the former vicarage next to the church.
As part of their punishment, three of the four teenagers involved agreed to attend a meeting with church members as part of a restorative justice order, which allows offenders to make amends directly to the people or organisations they have harmed.
filed under: Media, Story, Country:England
Greg Wilhoit: The story of an innocent man
by Lisa Rea
I have a friend whose name is Greg Wilhoit. His story is a remarkable one. He is an exoneree who was freed from death row in Oklahoma after having served time for a crime he did not commit. He was convicted and sent to death row for the killing of his wife. The only incriminating "evidence" which convicted Greg Wilhoit was teeth marks found on the victim's body. Dental "experts" said the teeth marks matched Greg's.
His story is on the website of The Journey of Hope: Greg is active with the Journey, as are many exonerees, as he tells his story of America's broken criminal justice system.
filed under: Limitations, Potential, Prison, Correspondent:Lisa Rea
