Howard Zehr is widely recognized as a major restorative justice pioneer.  His insights grew out of his work on the first victim offender encounter program in the US.  His book, Changing Lenses:  A New Focus for Crime and Justice, is considered a foundational work in the restorative justice movement.

He is currently Professor of Sociology and Restorative Justice in Eastern Mennonite University’s graduate Conflict Transformation Program.    

Prior to that time, Howard served as director of the Mennonite Central Committee U. S. Office on Crime and Justice.  In addition, he was founder and Director of the Elkhart County PACT, now the Center for Community Justice, the first U.S. Victim Offender Reconciliation Program.   

He began his justice career as an Associate Professor and Co-director of the Social Science and the Law Project at Talladega College (Talladega, AL).   

Howard has also worked professionally as a photographer and photojournalist in North America and internationally.

Howard not only teaches and writes but lectures extensively and serves as a trainer and consultant to community groups, justice practitioners, criminal justice officials and universities in North America and internationally.  During the Oklahoma City bombing trial of Timothy McVeigh (1997), Howard was appointed by the federal court to assist the defense in working with victims, yet an ongoing initiative.

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Restorative justice theory calls for victims to be central to justice. Indeed, restorative justice programs appear to have significant potential for addressing victim concerns and needs.

Unfortunately, close scrutiny of many restorative justice practices reveals significant shortcomings.  This occurs because victims and  their advocates are often not involved in the design and implementation of restorative programs.

Restorative justice offers a hopeful vision of justice for victims but good intentions and wonderful ideas are not enough.  Substantial challenges must be met if this vision is to prove a reality rather than a mirage. 

Restorative justice suggests that we need to change our lenses requiring  us to change our questions.

Justice for victims will not be served if we maintain our primary focus on the old questions that drive our justice system: 

• What laws have been broken?  

• Who "done" it? 

• What do they deserve?  

Real justice requires that we start with victims: 

• Who has been hurt? 

• What do they need? 

• Whose obligations and responsibilities are these? 

Only when we allow such questions to frame our quest for justice will victims attain the place they deserve.

Howard Zehr 

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Leading Edge.  Howard’s current research focus is on the roles of victims in restorative justice and on restorative justice in severe violence.  His new book, Transcending:  Reflections of Crime Victims (Good Books, Fall 2001) presents words and portraits of victims/survivors of severe violence.

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Reach Howard Zehr at   zehrh@emu.edu

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