June 2006 Edition
This month Restorative Justice Online focuses on the use of restorative justice in prisons. As Marian Liebmann demonstrates in her article, international interest in restorative justice has led to experimentation in the prison setting. Marilyn Armour describes one such programme in Texas. Barb Toews and Lotta Rao offer a reminder that prisons are not an optimal environment for restorative principles. Finally we offer an annotated bibliography and a review of a recent book that addresses the topic.
Restorative Justice in Prisons – An International Perspective
Increasing numbers of restorative justice programmes are being introduced into prisons. Marian Liebmann presented an overview of these programmes at the Third International Winchester Restorative Justice Group Conference. This article outlines Liebmann’s paper and provides a link to the full text.
Bridges to Life: A Promising In-Prison Restorative Justice Intervention
Bridges to Life is an in-prison restorative justice programme that facilitates meetings between offenders and unrelated victims. This article is drawn from a paper by Marilyn Armour, assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. The complete article is attached.
The Difficulty of Building Restorative Spaces: Re-envisioning Justice for Offenders
Prisons are not an ideal context for the implementation of restorative principles. In thinking about and developing restorative justice in prisons, it is important to remember the systemic challenges. This article is edited version of a paper by Barb Toews and Lotta Rao from the Pennsylvania Prison Society in which they consider the issues of the trauma of captivity and the effect of nature on behaviour. The full article is attached.
Restorative Justice in Prisons: A Web Bibliography
The growing interest in using restorative justice in the prison setting is reflected in the number of publications on the theme. The following bibliography provides a short survey of publications available on the web.
Book Review: Correctional Ethics
Prison administration raises several ethical issues including the meaning of punishment, the treatment of offenders, and staff management. Margarita Zernova reviews this anthology dealing with the complexity of problems involved in prison management, the controversies and divisions within the area, the ethical issues inherent in the administration of prison, and challenges presented by alternatives including restorative justice.
Website of the Month: Mennonite Central Committee Canada, Restorative Justice
The Mennonite Central Committee Canada website lists restorative justice resources available from the MCC, links to organizations using restorative practices in Canada, and more general resources.
Meet Albert Dzur
Dr. Albert Dzur teaches courses in political theory and public administration ethics in the Political Science Department at Bowling Green State University. He is also a Research Fellow at the Social Philosophy & Policy Center.
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