July 2007 Edition
Stories include: Developing Restorative Juvenile Justice in Peru; Attitudes of Victims and Offenders toward Restorative Justice; Book Review: Charting progress, mapping the future: restorative justice in South Africa; Meet Marjorie Bing Stanislaw; Website of the Month: Institute for Healing of Memories.
Developing Restorative Juvenile Justice in Peru
In Peru, the majority of juvenile offenders are incarcerated, even in cases of petty crime, with close to 68% having sentences of three years or less. This is true despite the inclusion of alternative sentences such as community service and remission of the sentence in the penal code. To address this reality the Switzerland-based NGO Terre des Hommes designed and implemented a pilot project called Justicia Para Crecer to introduce concepts of restorative justice. Partners in this project include the Peruvian NGO Encuentros –Casa de la Juventud and different government entities in the areas of el Agostino and Chiclayo.
Attitudes of Victims and Offenders toward Restorative Justice
A June 2007 report from the Ministry of Justice in the UK reports the attitudes of victims and offenders participating in three different restorative justice schemes from 2001-2004. The evaluation shows that the majority of victims and offenders found the restorative justice process satisfactory, with communication being listed as one of the most important elements of the process.
Book Review: Charting progress, mapping the future: restorative justice in South Africa.
This book, reviewed by Martin Wright, discusses the history and present status of restorative justice in South Africa.
Meet Marjorie Bing Stanislaw
Marjorie Bing Stanislaw works with community members in Pennsylvania to change the way justice is done.
Website of the Month: Institute for Healing of Memories
According to its vision statement, the Institute for the Healing of Memories “seeks to contribute to the healing journey of individuals, communities and nations.” This work is done through workshops, seminars and talks and through developing processes for dealing with negative emotions and leading to reconciliation. This website provides an overview of the Institute’s work.
