Grieving mum’s prison visit inspired by daughter’s kindness
from Jon Livesey's article in the Lancashire Telegraph:
A heartbroken mother drew on the memory of her daughter killed in a car crash to find the courage to meet the burglar who broke into her home.
Margaret Foxley told the burglar the laptop he stole contained treasured photographs of her daughter Jessica, who died in a car crash with two friends in Colne six months later.
It was the first time in Lancashire that a victim had gone into prison to meet the person who committed a crime against them as part of the ‘restorative justice’ programme.
Group-Conflict Resolution: Sources of Resistance to Reconciliation
To what extent can insights from apology and forgiveness in dyadic disputes be imported into the group conflict context?
How might differences between the two types of disputes necessitate differing dispute resolution techniques?
How is disputant resistance to conflict resolution changed or amplified in the group-conflict context?
These questions are the focus of the articles published in the spring 2009 issue of the journal Law and Contemporary Problems. The articles grew out of presentations made at a conference organised by the Law and Human Behavior progamme at Vanderbilt University Law School with financial assistance from the Andrus Family Fund.
Nov 02, 2009 Conceptual, Limitations, Theory, National Reconciliation
RJ Online Library
One of the main attractions on Restorative Justice Online is the research database with over 9600 citations of restorative justice publications ranging from academic publications to practice manuals to research reports to policy documents, etc.
Below is a list of items recently added to the database.
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."
Oct 30, 2009 Juvenile, Region: Africa, Support, Practice, Country:South Africa, Victim
Justice and the juvenile offender
from Cynthya Porter's article in Winona Post:
October is the 10th anniversary of Restorative Justice in Winona County. This year coordinators Jessica Radke and Joyce Packard have shepherded 32 juvenile offenders through the unconventional process that has gained popularity throughout the world.
Oct 30, 2009 Practice, Country:USA
Offenders, victims resolve their own cases
from Shane Benjamin's article in the Durango Herald:
Zane Wells, 22, drank too much one night at El Rancho. In a stupor, he kicked a door and caused about $300 in damage.
He was arrested for criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. But instead of letting the courts resolve the case, he was selected to participate in a victim-offender mediation program, where he could apologize to the business owners and hash out a mutual resolution.
At first, bar owners Chip and Chris Lile were reluctant to participate in such a program. They felt victimized by Wells’ actions and wanted the courts to enact justice.
“My thoughts were, it was a way for somebody to avoid trouble with the courts and get out of what they did,” Chip Lile said.
Oct 29, 2009 Story
A new kind of justice
from Rebecca Webber's article in Parade Magazine:
From Fresno, Calif., to Hempstead, N.Y., hundreds of communities in the country are using “ restorative justice” to deal with criminals. Offenders must take responsibility for their actions and try to repair the harm they’ve done—by apologizing, returning stolen money, or doing community service, for example. “People find a way to right the wrong, and that’s the beauty of it,” says Beverly Title, who runs a program in Longmont, Colo. Restorative justice can work in lieu of the criminal-justice system or in partnership with it.
Accreditation blueprint: Proposal to the Restorative Justice Consortium
from the Executive Summary:
In 2008, the Restorative Justice Consortium commissioned a consultancy, JPA Europe Limited, to conduct a 12 month project to define and test accreditation for restorative practice and based on the results develop a blueprint to map out the way forward in accreditation for the restorative practice sector.
Oct 28, 2009 Region:Europe, Practice, Country:England&Wales, Guidelines, Standards
Justice group welcome
from Saoirse32:
A Unionist councillor has welcomed news that a community restorative justice scheme in Newry and south Armagh has received official government status.
The CRJ scheme, based in Mullaghbawn, received government accreditation on Thursday following an inspection by Criminal Justice Inspection NI (CJI).
The inspection reported that the UN principles on Restorative Justice were being observed by the organisation and that senior police officers working in Newry and south Armagh indicated that a relationship which held promise for the future is developing.
Oct 28, 2009 Region:Europe, Practice, Guidelines, Standards, Country:Northern Ireland
The power of art
from Maggie's entry on ...here comes the Sun Philadelphia...:
So October is Mural Arts Month, get pumped people.
“A Love Letter for You” is currently the featured project for The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. This awesome program is celebrating 25 years for making the city of brotherly love beautiful. This program unities both artists and communities through the traditions of mural making. It is program that builds community by transforming public spaces into beautiful pieces of art and helps change peoples lives.
