Document Actions
July 2003 Edition
Last modified 2007-03-15 15:16
Colombia's Houses of Justice
In 1995, the Government of Colombia, with financial support from USAID, established two Casas de Justicia, Houses of Justice, in poor communities whose residents were otherwise denied meaningful access to justice. The purpose of the Casas de Justicia was to bring together in one place a number of municipal services involved in responding to criminal and family violence, and to help clients resolve problems together whenever possible.
New Books in Restorative Justice
As interest in restorative justice grows so do available resources. A number of new books on restorative justice are being published this year, covering a variety of topics including juvenile justice, criminal justice, accountability, schools, and more. Here are brief descriptions of some of the books we will see in 2003.
Starting Restorative Programs: Manuals on the Web.
There are many resources available on the Web for people starting restorative programs. The programs differ, and they are specific to their context, but they may serve as useful guides to others.
Book Review: A Kind of Mending: Restorative Justice in the Pacific Islands.
This collection of essays grew out of the conference ‘Restorative Justice and Conflict Management in the Pacific Islands’ hosted by the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Project at Australia National University and the Law School of the University of South Pacific. The group of academics, criminal justice professionals, and community activists discussed restorative justice as a viable option for the Pacific Islands because it resonates with traditional processes and practices. This optimism is reinforced by descriptions of innovative practices used to resolve conflict situations in recent history. At the same time, several writers caution against the assumption that traditional practices or attitudes are automatically restorative.
Website of the Month: Calgary Community Conferencing.
Calgary Community Conferencing is a collaborative interagency effort to provide conferencing services to young offenders. The partnership includes justice, education, and community based agencies. This website offers information about the collaboration and its work.
