Victims of crime: Meeting with a killer

An interview of Ellen Halbert by Lisa Rea in the current issue of Freedom from Fear Magazine, published by UNICRI.

In 1986, Ellen Halbert was raped, stabbed, beaten with a hammer and left for dead in her home in Texas. During her recovery, she began to speak out about victims’ rights and what needed to change in our “offender-focused” criminal justice system.  In 1991, she was appointed by Governor Ann Richards as the first victim to serve on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the board that oversees the massive adult criminal justice system in Texas....

Aug 14, 2009 Practice, Victim, Correspondent:Lisa Rea

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Video Review: An Introduction to Restorative Practices at Endeavour High School

by Kate Strong

This video describes the positive results of restorative practices implemented in a school with behavioral and performance problems in England.

Endeavour High School in Hull, England, had a very bad reputation in its community and the larger educational system. In addition, socioeconomic conditions made it difficult for students to participate positively in their school.

The administration decided the best way to address both problems was to institute restorative practices, citing that the traditional ways simply were not working. The community, students, and teachers were skeptical at first. But after eighteen months, the results have been very positive. There is a greater sense of community in the school, the students have learned how to build real relationships with each other, and overall behavior has improved. 

Aug 07, 2009 School, Video Review, RJ City, Practice, Evaluation, Secondary

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