Circles

Articles describing the various uses of the circle process.

Will it go 'round in circles?

from Stanley B. Chambers, Jr's article in the Durham News: Even as a 70-year-old grandmother, Daisy Waring admits she's still learning about herself. This lesson, though, comes at a high price. Her grandson, Byron Lamar Waring, is on death row for the 2005 Raleigh stabbing death of Lauren Redman. No one talks about it in her small town of Eutawville, S.C. So she kept her sadness and depression bottled up. She felt alone. Waring first learned about healing circles while attending a conference in 2007 for those like her. The tradition has been used for centuries to resolve conflict and make important community decisions. Healing circles have helped Waring so much that she travels to Durham every December for an event sponsored by the Capital Restorative Justice Project. "It really helped me to grow because I really felt empty," Waring said. "Cried all the time. When I leave them, I have hope that it's going to be all right. "It's an ongoing thing, but every day it gets better, and I'm learning to cope from it."

Huculak, Bria. A Story of a Peacemaking Circle

What are the advantages of using a Circle approach or process to address criminal offending? How does a Circle process differ from a traditional courtroom? These are questions illuminated by this restorative justice resource paper by Bria Huculak, a judge of the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In the paper Judge Huculak describes the nature, structure, and purposes of peacemaking circles. She points out how they are different from traditional court proceedings. Additionally, she notes that circles are being used for a range of offenses and in a variety of settings. To illustrate the use of a circle approach, she sketches the context for and outcomes of a peacemaking circle employed to address an actual robbery case in which violence was threatened.

Wilson, Robin J. Can We Welcome High-Risk Sex Offenders Back to the Community?

The term “pedophilia‿ refers to individuals sexually attracted to children. As Robin Wilson writes, pedophilia incites an enormously high degree of fear and anger among the general population. Even when pedophiles are arrested, convicted, and incarcerated, the vast majority of them in Canada and the United States eventually serve their terms and return to society. It is in this context that Wilson asks what can be done with “high-risk‿ sex offenders who return to our communities. To explore the possibilities, he discusses a successful program for released sex offenders in Canada called 'Circles of Support and Accountability,' a collaboration between the Canadian government and the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario.

Brignell, Georgia and Smart, Jane and Lawrie, Rowena and Brignell, Georgia and Potas, Ivan and Lawrie, Rowena and Thomas, Brendan and Brignell, Georgia and Smart, Jane and Potas, Ivan. Circle Sentencing in New South Wales: A Review and Evaluation

Part 1 presents the background and concept of circle sentencing. The process involves community members and offenders coming together to discuss the offense, the offender, and the consequences of the offense. The goal is to jointly arrive at an appropriate sentence for the offender. This justice process enjoyed success in Canada, spurring officials in New South Wales to adapt the process for use with Australian Aboriginal communities. A pilot circle sentencing initiative was undertaken at Nowra beginning in February 2002. The pilot program had 13 offender participants: 11 male and 2 female offenders. Part 2 reviews the circle sentencing procedures used in Nowra. Eight case examples of circle sentencing proceedings are presented throughout part 2 in order to demonstrate its practice. The case studies describe the circumstances of the offense, the proceedings, the sentence, and the progress reports at follow-up. Part 3 presents program evaluation results for the first 12 months of the programxe2x80x99s operation. Participants in circle sentencing were surveyed throughout 2002. Surveys were completed by community members, defense solicitors, police, prosecutors, the magistrate, defendants, and victims. The evaluation indicates that circle sentencing in Nowra has been effective in many ways. This type of justice model has been effective at reducing barriers between the courts and Aboriginal people; raising the level of support for Aboriginal people; incorporating victim support; empowering the Aboriginal community; offering relevant sentencing options with community support; and reducing recidivism. Part 4 assesses the role of circle sentencing in New South Wales given the success of the first circle sentencing pilot program. Given the positive results of the program, the only deficit discovered was the time commitment required to process an offender through circle sentencing. Abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Baskin, Cyndy. Holistic Healing and Accountability: Indigenous Restorative Justice

Writing from an Aboriginal perspective in Canada, Cyndy Baskin draws certain fundamental contrasts between Western-European and Aboriginal approaches to understanding and dealing with wrongdoing. For example, a Western-European approach, as seen in the dominant society and its criminal justice system in Canada, focuses on the offender and his or her individual responsibility for wrongdoing, and emphasizes punishment of the offender as the most appropriate response. An Aboriginal approach emphasizes a collective responsibility for dealing with wrongdoing and seeks healing to restore peace and balance among the community, offender, and victim. In this framework, Baskin discusses her work with Aboriginal sexual offenders using culture-based restorative justice aims and processes, such as circles.

Hannem, Stacey and Petrunik, Michael G. Canada's Circles of Support and Accountability: A Community Justice Initiative for High-risk Sex Offenders

In 1986, legislation that was designed to keep high-risk offenders away from the public actually created a loophole that allowed certain high risk offenders to be released at the conclusion of their sentence without any community supervision requirement. Canadian authorities realized that releasing high risk offenders, especially those convicted of sex crimes against children, into a fearful and hostile community would not serve the public interest. As such, the COSA initiative came about with the understanding that community protection can be enhanced by a restorative approach that combines offender reintegration with a concern for public safety. The development of this approach in Canada came about as a result of public outcry following a high-profile case in which a released sex offender killed a child. COSA works by uniting four to seven trained team members in a covenant with a high-risk sex offender in order to provide the offender with assistance obtaining work, housing and recreation, social assistance, and community resources. The criteria for successful COSA’s include open communication between COSA team members and the criminal justice system. The COSA model requires a careful balance between reintegration and risk management concerns, but the effort provides enhanced community safety and valuable community reintegration services that help keep offenders from recidivating. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Editor. Interchange: How one volunteer has made a difference

Alice Lynch is executive director of a nonprofit in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that engages social issues affecting women and their families. She also participates in the Restorative Justice Advisory Council, a statewide advisory group to the Minnesota Department of Corrections. On these bases, she volunteered to bring restorative justice to her own neighborhoods in north Minneapolis. This article describes her work coordinating the other volunteers of the Northside Community Justice Committee as they employ the model of restorative circles in dealing with African-American juvenile offenders.

McCormick, Anna C. Confronting the Past and Building a Future: Peacemaking Circles in a Northern Canadian Community

The most significant changes in the administration of youth justice, based on a transformative philosophy, are occurring in First Nations communities, in response to a history of oppression, near-genocide, culture conflict with, and proven ineffectiveness of the Western criminal justice system. In efforts to reassert power and take responsibility for local issues, address crime and victimization, build community, revive traditional values, increase community capacity and self-sufficiency, create a healthier reality for future generations, and prepare for eventual self-government, one primarily First Nations community in the Yukon has developed and implemented peacemaking circles. This thesis is a result of field research conducted in this community. Based on participant observation and interviews with community justice practitioners, community members, justice personnel, young offenders and victims who have experienced peacemaking circles, it explores several individual, community, and system level challenges which may affect the potential of circles to accomplish objectives. The initiative operates within a community and political environment that is plagued by misinformation, skepticism, mistrust, resistance, apathy, dysfunctionality, power imbalances, state paternalism, and minimal ideological and financial support. Project evaluations cannot be imposed from the outside, before these issues have the opportunity to be addressed, or before the initiative has sufficient time to reach long-term objectives. Failure to address these and other issues could be devastating to the entire restorative justice movement, and doom communities to continued intervention by and subordination to an ineffective and oppressive retributive justice system. Author's abstract.

Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council. Circle Sentencing: Involving Aboriginal Communities in the Sentencing Process

Circle sentencing or circle courts arose in Canada in the early 1992 out of a decision from the Supreme Court of the Yukon in the case of R v Moses. In that case the presiding judge, Judge Stuart, advocated a significant change in the Canadian sentencing process. Judge Stuart was of the opinion that a significant and immediate improvement could be achieved within the judicial system by increasing meaningful community involvement in the sentencing process, before during and after the sentencing takes place. In attempting to implement this Judge Stuart consulted the local Indian community and the concept of circle courts was developed. Circle courts were adopted by a number of more traditionally oriented first nations people in Canada, but have subsequently been adopted in Canadian urban settings and are also now used in the United States. (excerpt)

Roffey, Sue. Circle Time Solutions as a framework for sharing and supporting

Anyone who has worked with groups will be aware of how certain dynamics can result in one or two people being dominant while others are undermined or even silenced, Many simply become disengaged. Decisions often end up being made by a small or elite group and it is not surprising that others feel no ownership of the process and nothing much changes. The Circle Time framework offers a workable solution to this difficulty. It provides a democratic, pro-active, respectful, reflective and creative approach to consider a wide range of issues affecting a group or community. Circles are most commonly used for school classes but are applicable to any other group. The strength of Circles is that they address values, feelings, self and relational skills within a safe and supportive framework. Familiarity with the principles and practice of Circle Time is important in using this framework for resolving conflict or addressing more challenging issues, such as bullying. In schools Circle Time is a regular activity with a class, taking place at least weekly. Part of its purpose is to raise self esteem and promote a sense of belonging within the group. (excerpt)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Seeds of Change: Using Peacemaking Circles to Build a Village for Every Child

Roca, Inc., a grassroots human development and community organization, has adopted the peacemaking circle as a tool in its relationship building with youth, communities, and formal systems. Circles are a method of communication derived from aboriginal and native traditions. In Massachusetts, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Youth Services are exploring the application of the circle in programming with youth and families. By providing a consistent structure for open, democratic communication, peacemaking circles enhance the formation of positive relationships in families, communities, and systems. The outcome is a stronger community with greater unity across truly diverse participants. This article presents the theory and practice of peacemaking circles, the lessons and challenges of implementing circles in formal organizations, and the potential of the circle to support a strengths-based and community-based approach to child welfare. Author's abstract.

Riestenberg, Nancy. PEASE Academy: The Restorative Recovery School.

The PEASE Academy, a high school in Minneapolis for students recovering from chemical dependency and addiction, has incorporated the circle process and restorative justice principles into its system with much success. These principles have increased student accountability for their actions, opened a forum for dialogue and reflection, and, interestingly, helped staff resolve internal issues. This article examines how the process was integrated into the school’s program, the student response to the circle sessions, and the change in attitude brought about through the restorative process. Abstract courtesy of the Marquette University Law School-Restorative Justice Initiative http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?2130&pageID=1831

Pranis, Kay. The little book of circle processes.

Circles draw on Native American traditions and ancient teachings, but different types of circles have come into use today for a variety of purposes. Typical elements of a circle include opening and closing ceremonies, a talking piece, a facilitator or keeper, collectively established guidelines and consensus decisions. Modern ideas of democracy and inclusive speech relate to the value of equality and the opportunity for participants both to give and to receive from others. The philosophy of circles also emphasises connectedness. The four relational elements of a circle are based on the Medicine Wheel. As well as providing an overview of values, historical context, and components of circles, Pranis’ book discusses ways that circles may be organised. Several examples of various types also reflect the importance of story telling in circle process.

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Discovering Their Voice: Empowering Young People Through Circles

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca—a multicultural, youth, family, and community development organization—to open up new possibilities for empowerment of young people through discovering their own voice. (author's abstract)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Come Together: Building Community Through Circles

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca - a multi-cultural, youth, family and community development organization - to strengthen the bonds of community. (author's abstract)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Circle of Accountability: Being in Circle Outside of Circle.

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca—a multicultural, youth, family, and community development organization—to open up new possibilities for empowerment through learning how to be accountable to themselves and their community. (author's abstract).

Anonymous. Kake Circle Peacemaking

In 1999, in an effort to curb youth alcohol abuse, tribal members of the Organized Village of Kake(federally recognized Tribe of Kake, Alaska) established the Healing Heart Council and Circle Peacemaking, a reconciliation and sentencing process embedded in Tlingit traditions. Working in seamless conjunction with Alaska 's state court system, Circle Peacemaking intervenes in the pernicious cycle by which underage drinking becomes an entrenched pattern of adult alcoholism. Today, the program not only enforces underage drinking sentences in an environment where such accountability had been rare, but also restores the Tlingit culture and heals the Kake community.

McKinnon, Peter. Squaring the Circle With At-Risk Youth

The Peacemaking Circle project, which involves Crown prosecutors, provincial court judges, social workers and community activists, aims to help youth who have committed criminal offences, along with those likely to come in conflict with the law. In essence, youth participate in a series of meetings to identify issues and problems, devise effective solutions, and track progress. (excerpt)

Walker, Lorenn and Brady, Kat and Sakai, Ted and Walker, Lorenn. Restorative Circles: A Solution-Focused Reentry Planning Process for Inmates

This article describes a pilot programme in Hawaii using restorative circles in creating transition plans for inmates.

Restorative justice: New approaches in Brazil

by luigimorelli on the blog A Revolution of Hope: Today, most of the deaths of Brazilian adolescents are caused by gang-related murders. To counteract gangs’ advanced organization police repression looks more and more like guerrilla. However, the government is realizing that a strictly adversarial approach is not going to advance a resolution. In the mid-1990s, Dominic Barter began working with favela residents, including drug gang members, to help them strengthen nonviolent options for working with young people. “I saw violence as a monologue,” said Barter, referring to both gang activity and its repression, “I wanted to create a dialogue.”