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Review: The legacy of community justice
Reviewed by Dan Van Ness
There are really two subjects of this collection of articles. One is community justice, which continues to exert influence in the juvenile and criminal justice fields. The second and more important one is Dennis (Denny) Maloney. Denny was an influential, charismatic, larger-than-life leader in the restorative and community justice movement until his untimely death in 2007.
Mar 11, 2013 Justice, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Community, Book Review
David Daubney of Canada presented the 2011 International Prize for Restorative Justice
by Dan Van Ness
David Daubney has been awarded the 2011 International Prize for Restorative Justice in recognition of the public policy leadership he has provided in support of restorative justice. The presentation was made during the Prison Fellowship International World Convocation held in Toronto, Canada from 28 June – 2 July, 2011.
"For restorative justice to become the normal way of responding to crime, we need more than programs," said Daniel Van Ness, executive director of PFI's Centre for Justice and Reconciliation. "We also need public policy that reflects restorative principles and values so that the justice system itself becomes more restorative. With this award we recognize a man who as a legislator and an official in his country's justice ministry has helped shape restorative justice public policy in his nation and the world."
Jul 04, 2011 Court, Government, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Legislation, Policy, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:Canada, Politics
Restorative terminology: A modest proposal
by Dan Van Ness
Howard Zehr suggests that at the core of restorative justice are the values of respect, responsibility and relationship. Respect for others, genuine responsibility that acknowledges the true extent to which my actions affect others, and a recognition that the universe is relational and not merely material, all are reflected in what we call restorative justice.
But should we apply that term to all attempts to follow those values?
For example, is civility restorative justice? I recently received an email message from an interesting group called Civilination whose mission "is to foster an online culture where every person can freely participate in a democratic, open, rational and truth-based exchange of ideas and information, without fear or threat of being the target of unwarranted abuse, harassment, or lies." In other words, they want online culture to reflect respect, responsibility and relationships. They believe their work is connected to restorative justice and wanted us to inform our readers of their important work (which we've now done!).
May 02, 2011 Living, Theory, Definition, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Distinguishing
Circling self-interest and democracy
reviewed by Dan Van Ness
Lode Walgrave begins his exceptional 2008 book Restorative Justice, Self-interest and Responsible Citizenship like many writers on restorative justice. He reviews the ancient and recent history of restorative approaches, proposes and explains a definition of restorative justice, and outlines various restorative schemes. He then contrasts restorative approaches from contemporary criminal practice and identifies ways in which the former resolves practical and ethical problems of the latter.
The person who crosses this familiar territory with Lode is well rewarded because he writes with analytical precision, a scholar’s restraint, and the passion of someone with conviction. He has much to say that is worth hearing. He once again explains clearly why he favours a maximalist definition of restorative justice, one that is not limited to deliberative schemes but which applies only to harm caused by crime. He carefully and thoroughly builds his case against punishment and against restorative justice being considered an alternative punishment rather than an alternative to punishment.
Dec 22, 2010 Definition, Theory, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Distinguishing, Conceptual, Circle
Internally displaced people in Colombia: Victims in permanent transition
by Dan Van Ness
I have just received a copy of a research study on the peace negotiations in Colombia: Internally displaced people in Colombia: Victims in permanent transition: Ethical and political dilemmas of reparative justice in the midst of internal armed conflict by Sandro Jiménez Ocampo, et al.
From 2004 to 2007, the Colombian Government conducted peace negotiations with paramilitary groups. One of the issues negotiated had to do with the claims of people who had been killed or forcibly displace from their land, lands that were held by the combatants when the negotiations began.
Forced displacement and deaths continued during the course of the negotiations, creating new claims. While reparation to victims was supposed to be a prominent outcome to the negotiations, the difficulties of negotiating peace in the course of a violent conflict together with the absence of the victims of displacement from the negotiation meant that there were claims of serious inadequacies with the results.
Jan 28, 2010 Retribution, Theory, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Victim, National Reconciliation, Region: Latin America, Country:Colombia, Restitution
New study concludes that victim awareness programme works
by Dan Van Ness
The Sycamore Tree Programme (STP), a victim awareness programme delivered by Prison Fellowship England and Wales since 1998, produces "significant positive attitudinal changes" in prisoners, making it less likely that they will commit crimes in the future. This is the finding of a new study that evaluated before and after questionnaires completed by 5,007 programme participants over the past three years.
Oct 14, 2009 Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Other, Country:England&Wales, Victim, Prison
Treasures: Victims Voice, Safe Justice and Lemonade
by Dan Van Ness
I just came across several treasures that will be extremely useful to people who have been, who love, or who work with crime victims.
The first is the website of Victims' Voice, a Canadian NGO sponsored by the Mennonite Central Committee and whose purpose is "to address the revictimization of victims in the criminal justice system, to create understanding about victims among practitioners who work within the system and to give emotional and informational support directly to victims through victim-centered programs."
The website has a number of resources that can be downloaded. And it contains links to two more sites, also sponsored by Victims' Voice.
Sep 14, 2009 Practice, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Mediation, Other, Victim
Three justice orientations (or two?)
by Dan Van Ness
Howard Zehr, recently wrote in his Restorative Justice Blog:
Stanford Law Professor Herbert Packer has argued that two opposing justice orientations dominate U.S. policy debates: crime control vs. due process. Could a restorative justice orientation provide a “third way?” that transcends these poles? The following identifies some assumptions of each.
Crime control orientation: emphasis on order and security....
Due process orientation: emphasis on preventing misuse of the punishment system....
Restorative justice orientation - emphasis on repair and responsibility....
Sep 10, 2009 Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Distinguishing, Theory, Definition
Justice and mercy
by Dan Van Ness
The compassionate release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of participation in the bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, has generated a great deal of discussion. And well it might; 270 people died when the plane crashed (259 passengers and 11 residents of Lockerbie). Al-Megrahi was the only person convicted of the terrorist attack.
Aug 24, 2009 Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Forgiveness, Victim, Apology, Offender
Finding space for Fido
by Dan Van Ness
This is not the story about a violent crime or even school bullying. But it concerns a problem contributing to the quality of life of people in a neighborhood, and of the dogs that some of them own.
Dog owners in the Kingfield neighbourhood of Minneapolis want a place for their pets to run free. While there is no park in their district that allows this, some of them unleash their dogs anyhow.
Aug 10, 2009 Process, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Community
