The PFI Centre for Justice and Reconciliation is a program of Prison Fellowship International, an association of prison ministries in over 100 countries around the world. The mission of the Centre is to promote the use of restorative justice so that one day it is the normal response to crime around the world.  The prize was announced during Prison Fellowship International’s Quadrennial Convocation, held August 6-9 in Toronto, Canada.

“Howard’s writing and speaking have fired the imaginations of people in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific,” Dan Van Ness, the Centre’s Executive Director said in presenting the prize. “Many people in those regions point to him as the person who motivated them to begin restorative programs in their countries.  His book, Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice, is a foundational work in restorative justice. It is probably referenced as much as any other single book in the growing literature on restorative justice.”

Zehr directed the first victim-offender reconciliation program in the U.S. in the 1970s. As he spoke with victims and offenders involved in that program, he discovered that they were far more satisfied that justice had been done in their meetings than were those whose matters were handled in traditional court processes. As he considered why this might be, he suggested that the more cooperative, problem-solving approach used by the victim-offender reconciliation program demonstrated a different kind of justice from that seen in courts, one that he called restorative justice.  He has spoken, written and taught about restorative justice since. 

Because of his work and experience in the restorative justice movement, which is now international in scope, Zehr is considered not only a pioneer but also an authority in the field.

”Howard is not a blind promoter of restorative justice,” Van Ness said. “He has consistently warned that restorative justice programs can easily lose their distinctiveness.” Two keys to a genuinely restorative approach, according to Zehr, are the active participation of the community and the central place that the crime victim must be given. It is easy to lose sight of those essentials in the context of contemporary governmentally-driven, offender-focused criminal justice systems. 

Zehr is currently the co-director of the Conflict Transformation Program at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He also serves as professor of sociology and restorative justice at EMU.  

The $5,000 award honors individuals or organisations that have significantly advanced the implementation of restorative justice. Twenty four groups or individuals were nominated for the award.  After a selection process that involved internal and external review and comments, the Prison Fellowship International board of directors made the final selection of Dr. Zehr. 

“It was a very difficult decision to make,” said Van Ness. “The nominees formed a very diverse group. Each had made a significant impact on local, national or international criminal justice policies. Because the award considers the contributions of nominees over time, it is very possible that people or organisations who were nominated this year may be awarded the prize in future years.” 

The award will be offered every two years. 

For more information, contact: Dan Van Ness, PFI Centre for Justice and Reconciliation, PO Box 17434, Washington, DC 20041; email: dvanness@pfi.org; telephone: 1+703-481-0000; fax: 1+703-481-0003.

 

September 2003