April 2007 Edition
Stories include: Organizing Ex-Combatants for Peace in Mozambique; Lee County Victim Offender Conference Program; Meet Duane Ruth-Heffelbower; Book Review: Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice; Video Review: Widening the Circle: The Family Group Decision Making Experience; Website of the Month: Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Initiative
Organizing Ex-Combatants for Peace in Mozambique
As violent civil conflicts end, ex-combatants are sometimes treated as a risk to social peace and stability. Yet, as one organization in Mozambique demonstrates, ex-combatants can be key players in the peacebuilding process, promoting peace and reconciliation, and mediating peaceful solutions to conflicts.
Lee County Victim Offender Conference Program
The Lee County Victim Offender Conference (VOC) Program is a relatively new outgrowth of the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Initiative. VOC provides victims with an opportunity to meet with first time young offenders as a diversion from court. In this article, Mary Huffman of Lee County Probation provides an overview of the development of Lee County VOC.
Meet Duane Ruth-Heffelbower
Duane Ruth-Heffelbower is a founding member of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program in Fresno, California.
Book Review: Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice.
In criminal justice debates, punishment is often defended as an end in itself. Eric Assur reviews a book that explores the need to move beyond punishment to a restorative focus.
Video Review: Widening the Circle: The Family Group Decision Making Experience
The use of restorative process to address domestic violence has been hotly debated. This 43 minute video begins with a dramatization of one case of family violence and shows how Family Group Conferencing offers families the opportunity to develop their own solutions.
Website of the Month: Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Initiative
The Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Initiative (IBARJI) is a collaboration of nearly 35 volunteers providing information and support to courts, governmental agencies, organizations and individuals as they work to promote restorative justice in communities throughout Illinois. This website is one tool used in this initiative.
