Real People, Real Stories

Stories of actual victims, offenders and community members who have participated in restorative processes help illustrate the benefits and limitations of restorative justice practices.

Meeting with a killer

In this 45 minute video, Linda White and her granddaughter talk about the murder of Linda's daughter in 1986 and their decision to meet with the offender. It describes the preparation process for each and what the process meant for them.

Ssshhh…..CDC believes restorative justice will bring peace in our time!

from the article in Cotswold District Council Online: At Cotswold District Council the spotlight will focus on the role of Restorative Justice in resolving noise-related conflict. In other words, CDC officers will be informing the public how members of a community can come together and work out an agreed solution to a noise problem. CDC Environmental Health Officer, Rachel Kayani, is a keen advocate of this approach:

Restorative justice does work, says career burglar who has turned life around on Teesside

from the article by Lucy Richardson for the Darlington and Stockton Times: A hardened burglar who has turned his life around after meeting two of his traumatised victims is backing a new ‘restorative justice’ scheme. To Peter Woolf, stealing a laptop to pay for his heroin habit could be justified - the owner was rich and could easily afford to replace it. But when he was told that it had belonged to a heart and lung transplant surgeon and stored notes about critically ill patients as well as a research paper ready to be sent to the Lancet medical journal, the impact of his crimes suddenly hit home.

Restorative justice is the heart of nonviolent change

from the entry by Ken Butigan on ZNet: We’re so trained in the art and science of retribution that it’s sometimes hard to get a fix on what restorative justice is. I got a clue several years ago when my colleague Cynthia Stateman shared the following story. Cynthia was very close to her Uncle John. He was a doctor in their hometown, and when she was growing up she would often make the rounds with him visiting the sick. He was the town’s first African-American physician, and had built a clinic that served sharecroppers and mill workers. One night, years later, Cynthia got a call from a cousin telling her that her uncle had been killed by a young white man intent on robbing his clinic. The assailant had shoved her 75-year-old uncle against a wall. He fell, gasped for breath — and then suddenly died. The would-be robber phoned 911 but then ran for it, only to be quickly captured. Cynthia immediately flew home to be with her family.

"I felt healed": Mum met burglar who stole precious memories of her dead daughter

from the article by Sally Beck in the Mirror: When Margaret Foxley found out her house had been burgled and a laptop, camera and jewellery had been taken by a drug addict, she wanted him locked up and the key thrown away for good. She had thought of her home as a sanctuary where she could live safely with her husband Paul, her son Oliver and daughter Jessica.

Restorative justice reflections

The following letter was submitted to the Driftwood as part of Salt Spring’s Restorative Justice program. Restorative Justice. That name never clicked in my head when the officer brought it up. He gave me two options, one was court, and the other Restorative Justice.

Can forgiveness play a role in criminal justice?

from the article by Paul Tullis in the New York Times ….Baliga laid out the ground rules: Campbell would read the charges and summarize the police and sheriff’s reports; next the Grosmaires would speak; then Conor; then the McBrides; and finally Foley, representing the community. No one was to interrupt. Baliga showed a picture of Ann, sticking out her tongue as she looks at the camera. If her parents heard anything Ann wouldn’t like, they would hold up the picture to silence the offending party. Everyone seemed to feel the weight of what was happening. “You could feel her there,” Conor told me.

Law professor says ‘restorative justice’ can heal

from the article by Kieth Upchurch in the Herald Sun: To illustrate how communication can make a profound difference in people’s lives, Powell showed a video of interviews with a young couple whose home was broken into while they were gone and the two teens who did it. Through mediation, the boys said they came to realize how deeply they hurt the couple, who suffered anger and fear after the break-in. In turn, the couple said talking face-to-face helped them to understand the boys’ actions, and they eventually forgave them.

Review: The Final Gift: A documentary film

Reviewed by Lynette Parker The Final Gift-- A Documentary Film offers an intimate look into one woman’s journey of healing following the violent death of her brother. Therese Bartholemew’s brother, Steve, died after being shot in an altercation at a club. This film results from her attempt to understand what happened and its impact on their family. It chronicles their emotions and responses from receiving the first phone call to the sentencing to Therese’s meeting with the offender.

Restorative practices in the university: How two professors and a student worked together to resolve conflict

from the article by Mary Hoeft, Sarah Bennett and Altravis Lewis: Altravis sat in the back of my algebra class. He missed class often. His work showed evidence of his struggle. When I focused on him, I could see a look of disengagement. One day as I stood at the front of the classroom discussing a problem, I heard Altravis shout out in frustration. I was shaken and scared. I knew that his outburst had rattled students. After class, I approached Altravis and asked what was going on. He apologized and explained that it wouldn’t happen again.

Community justice: The power of the panel

from the article by Emma Kasprzak for BBC News: "I could feel the tension and hatred when they came into the room - but three quarters of an hour later there were buckets of tears." John Gallagher describes a neighbour dispute which had run for seven years and descended into an anti-social behaviour case.

Fairness, justice and restoring lives

from the article by Steven Teske on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange During a hot summer day, daycare workers removed children from a van, except one — Jazzmin Green. She was two years old. Sixteen-year-old Miesha Ridley was responsible for checking off the names of the children as they were removed. There was a mark next to Jazzmin’s name. An hour passed before anyone noticed she was missing. They found her in the van unconscious — still strapped to her car seat. She died from the heat. Miesha and two adult workers were arrested. Miesha admitted to voluntary manslaughter — it was time for disposition. Jazzmin’s parents made it clear that anything other than prison for Miesha would be “unfair.” They just buried their child and the pain was eating at them. During the hearing, Mr. Green shared these feelings of unfairness and asked that “justice” be done.

Pendle mum's film aims to spread message of restorative justice system

from the article by KAte Jackson in Lancashire Telegraph: ....Since their first meeting at Preston Prison in 2009, Margaret has met the burglar every few months and has been keeping a keen eye on his progress. During the past three years the meetings with Margaret, director of complementary studies at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, have been filmed and are due to be turned into a DVD to illustrate the effects of restorative justice.

How we forgave my son's vicious killer: Parents whose teenage boy was beaten to death by thugs come face-to-face with offenders

from the article by Deborah Arthurs in the Daily Mail: In a meeting arranged by the Restorative Justice programme and mediators at the charity CALM (Confidential And Local Mediation), the couple met with two of the three perpetrators responsible for the crime when they came to the end of their sentences. And in a moment of heart-wrenching humanity that brings tears to the eyes, Ray says that when one of the offenders entered the room, all he wanted to do was hug him.

Letter: This group and what it does made me feel whole again

the letter by Mary Petersen in River Falls Journal: Support from St Croix Restorative Justice and the Walk for Awareness following the sudden death of a loved one is something that you never imagine could be a part of your life at any age. But when a death like that happens, it’s something that makes you feel like you will never be whole again. You are alone and cannot face life without your loved one.

School's disciplinary message: We want you here

from Anne Stuhldreher's article in the San Francisco Chronicle: The head of security at Richmond High School is Darryl Robinson. But everyone there knows him as "Coach D." When he started 15 years ago, fights broke out nonstop. Students roamed the halls. And things didn't improve much over the years. Robinson remembers standing in front of a classroom and asking how many students had ever seen someone get killed. "Every hand in the room shot up," he said.

Sweeping to say 'I'm sorry'

from the article in the North Devon Journal: ....Dylan, who works as a butcher at Turton's in the High Street, said: "We were bored so we went and stood on the boat and pretended to be fishermen for a laugh. "I don't know why we cut the ropes but we soon started floating out into the harbour so we jumped off and walked away. "At the time it didn't occur to me how dangerous it was and what the implications could have been.

Henry's story: Facing the music

from the article on Restorative Justice Council's website: As I waited for Rachel to arrive I was absolutely terrified. I knew what would happen but it was terrifying doing it – actually facing her. She was the one I stole from. It went right to my guts. I knew then that this just wasn’t me – I had to change. I think back on that day and it gives me the attitude that I need to never go back to how I was before.

Power of One: Restorative justice couples victims with offenders

from the article on CTV.ca: ....A woman named Marité has been taking part in the process, not by facing her sexually-abusive father, but rather, another man who committed similar acts. She said that results have helped her cope with the damage she suffered. "For him it was like I was his daughter," said Marité. "And I was able also to express my anger to him and that's what he wanted rather than silence from his daughter." "I can now go forward because I'm not bound to my father anymore. I can leave him go."

Crime and entertainment at Franklin High

from the article by Rick Holmes in MetroWest Daily News: When outrage-inducing incidents become media sensations, the authorities respond with the tools they have available. Educators point to politically popular “zero tolerance” policies. ....Police charge the thugs with whatever laws they can find — even unlawful wire tapping — and set the wheels of justice turning. There will be lawyers and hearings and plea bargains, fines and probably time behind bars.