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Why penal reform should be a conservative issue
By Dan Van Ness
As reported earlier on RJOB, the Commission on Prisons Today recently released its report, Do Better, Do Less. Among other things it argues for expanded use of restorative justice programmes and policies.
One of the Commission members was Ian Loader, Professor of Criminology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College. In an article on conservativehome.blogs.com, the website of the British Conservative Party, he argues that conservatives should be at the forefront of penal reform.
Jul 17, 2009 Policy, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Country:England&Wales, Politics
International Institute of Restorative Practice Graduate School Holds Second Commencement
From the article by Laura Mirsky:
The second commencement of the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Graduate School, on June 20, 2009, was special because of the 14 graduates. Five received the Master of Restorative Practices and Education: Kevin W. Eisenhart, Mary Ellen Mannix, Gloria Alvarez Pouleson, Nicole A. Sutterby and Deanna L. Webb; and nine, the Master of Restorative Practices and Youth Counseling: Jennifer Lyn Barvitskie, Viola Bush, Benjamin Emery, Lemi Daba Gudeta, Mary-Lynn LaSalvia-Keyte, Marie-Isabelle Pautz, Darian Smith, Perrine M. Weierbach and Bonnie L. Witt.
Safety with Dignity: Alternatives to the Over-Policing of Schools
By Dan Van Ness
On July 8, 2009, three organizations -- the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and Make the Road New York -- released a report on six New York City schools that have created safe and nurturing environments without relying on metal detectors, aggressive policing and harsh discipline.
Based on the success of those schools, Safety with Dignity: Alternatives to the Over-Policing of Schools offers seven recommendations for replicating their experience in other NY City schools.
Jul 16, 2009 Policy, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, School, Secondary
Kenya: Annan's is one of many options
By Dan Van Ness
In the aftermath of the post-election violence in Kenya in late 2007, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan mediated an agreement between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to form a power-sharing administration.
A government-appointed commission investigated the violence and in October 2008 gave Annan a list of suspects in the killings along with proof. Since then, the government and the International Criminal Court have negotiated about how to address prosecution of the perpetrators. Earlier in July they agreed that the ICC will set up a court in Kenya to try the suspects. At that point, Annan turned over the list of suspects to the ICC's Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
In commenting on this development on allAfrica.com, L. Muthoni Wanyeki, Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission, made some interesting observations about the kind of justice that Kenyans need:
Jul 16, 2009 Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, National Reconciliation, Country:Kenya
Building restorative cultures
by Dan Van Ness
Yesterday I wrote about the media treatment of a paper delivered by Dr. Hillary Cremin warning that restorative justice programmes alone are not enough to address bullying if there is not also a culture change at the school.
One newspaper reported that this meant that "trendy" restorative justice doesn't work to stop bullying. My entry yesterday considered the difficulty of working with media to present a nuanced argument when they are looking for soundbites to sell papers.
Today I want to consider another issue, one that Dr. Cremin raised in our correspondence:
Jul 15, 2009 Limitations, Theory, RJ City, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Report, Evaluation
Offering Hope, Encouraging Change
By Lynette Parker
"A place where human potential is squashed." As I read this quote from someone working in prison ministry in Estonia, I couldn't help but contrast it with a statement made by an offender after a restorative conference, "I was happy because I think they really believe I can change."
I thought this was the highest form of compliment for the process and those who participated. When I shared the comment with a colleague, I said, "Sometimes that is all a person needs, the knowledge that someone else thinks he can do the right thing."
Jul 15, 2009 Limitations, Support, Practice, Correspondent:Lynette Parker
Three-year research project on mediation and restorative justice in prison settings
from the flyer announcing the project:
The Mediation and Restorative Justice in Prison Settings Project is a three year international exchange project funded by the European Commission, between the counties of Germany, Hungary and the UK.
The project will identify, exchange and develop best practice for the use of restorative justice (“RJ”) with the most serious crimes, particularly those against persons and property attracting a custodial sentence. Research suggests that RJ can have the biggest impact on the lives of victims and offenders where such serious crimes have been committed.
Jul 14, 2009 Country:Hungary, Dialogue, Country:England&Wales, Offender, Country:Germany, Region:Europe, Victim, Prison, Report, Evaluation
An interesting reason to use restorative justice
By Dan Van Ness
"We're looking at thousands of dollars in damage and the courts would never impose that on first offenders. Nor would there be any sort of punitive action taken. With the restorative justice forum, the expectation - and my belief - is that they are going to be dealt with much more harshly through an RJ than they would be in the provincial court system or the youth courts. The courts would probably simply give them a conditional sentence and send them on their way. With the RJ forum we're looking at restitution and we'll be looking at some community input.
"We have the OIC's (Officer in Command's) support and we have the City's support and we're putting together a package in order to make sure that this doesn't fall on the taxpayers' shoulders. City council as well as residents in the area are going to be involved in the forum."
Jul 14, 2009 Retribution, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Theory, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:Canada
On delivering nuanced messages in a soundbite culture
By Dan Van Ness
"Trendy 'restorative justice' schemes to stamp out bullying at schools 'do not work'," the headline trumpeted. The article by Laura Clark on Mail Online (the website of the Daily Mail) began in the same vein:
"Trendy 'no punishment' approaches to tackling bullying are not working in many schools, a researcher warned yesterday.
"More than 600 schools use 'restorative justice' techniques which allow bullies to escape punishment if they face their victims and apologise.
"But a Cambridge University academic told a conference the approach has been 'widely exaggerated' as a remedy for bullying."
Jul 14, 2009 Media, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Story, Politics
More cautionary news from the US
By Dan Van Ness
United States public officials are reconsidering sentencing policies, driven by the increasingly high cost implications of current laws and practices. Mandatory sentencing laws, including Three Strikes legislation adopted in a number of states, take discretion away from judges and require prison sentences (often quite lengthy) be served.
Jul 13, 2009 Court, Correspondent:Dan Van Ness, Diversion, Region: North America and Caribbean, Policy, Politics, Country:USA
