Victims' advocate says more energy should be invested in restitution programs

from Michael McKiernan's article on Legal Feeds:

Justice systems in the North should invest more energy in developing restitution processes that work, according to a leading Canadian victims’ advocate. 

Irvin Waller, a professor at the University of Ottawa and the president of the International Organization for Victim Assistance, was a speaker at Justice for All: A Comparison of the Crime Victims’ Rights in the U.S. and Canada, put on by the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice section this morning.

“We know from the social science evidence that well-organized restorative justice, which includes restitution payments, not only increases victim satisfaction compared to the normal process, but secondly actually reduces recidivism,” Waller said. “There is a real opening here. It’s win-win all around for justice at times of austerity.”

Aug 29, 2011 Region: North America and Caribbean, Policy, Victim, Country:Canada, Politics, Restitution

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Law is more than a profession, it's a calling: "Making a difference" through restorative justice

from the article by Michael C. Deering:

Before entering law school, a soon-to-be attorney dreams of “making a difference.” He dreams of representing clients as he advocates for truth and justice, as he lends his voice to those who cannot speak, as he defends the innocent and the young, and sets the wrong to right. 

Then, reality sets in. Dreams of justice and zealous representation give way to stress and the everyday rigors of law school. Reading, briefing, and writing overwhelm the student. After three years of arduous work, the student graduates. Facing bar preparation, job searching in an economy that causes seasoned attorneys to shudder, and a mountain of educational debt, the graduate accepts work wherever he can find it. 

Aug 11, 2011 Juvenile, Government, Practice, Legislation, Design, Region: North America and Caribbean, Policy, Values, Country:USA

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Partnering with police to do restorative justice

from the article in PeaceBuilder:

....“Chief Wetherbee called me throughout the week at SPI,” Larson Sawin recalls with a smile. “I suspected he’d be wary of the ritual components of SPI, but the coursework caught his imagination. He said the days went so quickly, five o’clock would roll around and he felt like the day had just started.”

At first, some of his SPI classmates were skeptical that police – often considered a fundamentally coercive force – could play a positive role in RJ processes. If only they had known the full scope of what was happening in Massachusetts.

Aug 09, 2011 Police, Case:Hate Crime, Policy, Region: North America and Caribbean, Conceptual, Country:USA

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