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- Showing 2 posts published between Sep 01, 2009 and Sep 30, 2009 [Show all]
Restorative Justice and Work-Related Death
by Dr. Derek R. Brookes
This research project was initiated by the Creative Ministries Network (CMN), which is based in Victoria, Australia. CMN have provided grief-support for family members bereaved by work-related death for more than ten years. Their extensive experience found that the grieving process was prolonged and intensified by how the legal system and other agencies dealt with work-related fatalities.
In searching for solutions, the agency was inspired to examine restorative justice (RJ), mainly because they had witnessed the healing that resulted from several (self-arranged) meetings between families and company representatives. CMN subsequently applied for a grant from the Legal Services Board of Victoria to explore the feasibility of RJ in this context, and I was contracted as the principal researcher.
The project consisted of two parts. The first involved a literature review, which sought to explore and clarify the kind of issues that might be faced in this context. This included addressing: (1) whether it would be fair and reasonable to invite a company director, manager or worker to take responsibility for their part in a work-related death – even where no personal criminal liability has been (or can be) established; (2) whether RJ can provide any distinctive benefits to those affected; and (3) how best to situate RJ vis-à-vis the legal process.
Sep 01, 2009 Workplaces
Video Review: The Transformation of West Philadelphia High School: A Story of Hope
by Kate Strong
A troubled high school in Philadelphia undergoes a radical turn-around after restorative practices transform the whole climate of the school.
The DVD is the visual equivalent of a newspaper article: there is little ornamentation and even littler excess. The story presented is simple: West Philadelphia High School had been on the "persistently dangerous" list for six years because of the violence and crime that had plagued the school.
Then, as an attempt to thoroughly transform the school from its bones to its behavior, they introduced restorative practices, including conferencing training and circles for dispute resolution. Within the first year, the crime rate was down by 52%. The next year, the crime rate had dropped another 45%.
Sep 01, 2009 Story, Video Review, School, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:USA
