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A Ministry of Reconciliation: The Umuvumu Tree Project in Rwanda

With the imminent release of thousands of genocide prisoners angry over eight years of imprisonment without trial into communities still bitter over the violence and death, Prison Fellowship Rwanda, a local NGO, saw the potential for renewed violence and decided to act.

Community Service in Uganda

On November 6th 2001, the Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda announced the official implementation of Community Service orders in Uganda. The announcement marked the culmination of several years of development and preparation. Originally intended to lower prison populations and provide more humane treatment for offenders, the new policies provide space for participation by victims and the community, while creating room for the growing use of restorative process.

Court Ruling Upholds Principles of Restorative Justice, Overturns Shaming Sanction

In January, a ruling from the High Court of South Africa (Eastern Cape Division) set aside a lower court ruling requiring a defendant convicted of six counts of fraud to publicly wear a placard announcing her guilt and asking her victims for forgiveness. In setting aside this one aspect of the sentence, the High Court referenced both the unconstitutionality of the sanction and its departure from the principles of restorative justice.

Finding Community Alternatives in the Gambia

The Canadian International Development Agency recently awarded Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a grant to launch a Community Policing and Restorative Justice Project in the African country the Gambia. Dr. Stephen Perrott, of the Department of Psychology, provides a description of the project and its goals.

Juvenile Justice Reforms Pending in South Africa

A bill fostering the inclusion of restorative justice principles and practices for juveniles is still awaiting parliamentary action in South Africa. Originally introduced in 2002, the Child Justice Bill would create a consistent system for responding to youth crime by consolidating current practices and legislation with international standards for the treatment of juvenile offenders.

Making Sense of North American and South African Differences in the Practice of Restorative Justice

Cultural realities in North America and South Africa influence the way practice is undertaken. In this article, Susan Sharpe and George Lai Thom explore how those differences impact the practice of victim offender mediation in those two contexts.

Restorative Justice Approach Launched by South Africa Department of Correctional Services

The South Africa Department of Correctional Services held a conference in November to launch its new "restorative justice approach". Although other government departments have included restorative justice in their policy documents and the government has sponsored pilot projects, this was certainly the most highly publicized policy statement on restorative justice by the South African government to date.

Restorative Justice in Sentencing: South Africa

In a recent sentencing decision in a murder case, Judge E. Bertelsmann of the High Court of South Africa wrote of the importance of restorative justice in the South Africa context. The full decision is presented here with a downloadable version attached.

South African NGO Furthers the Implementation of Restorative Justice

Khulisa, a South African crime prevention organization, has made significant inroads applying restorative justice in a society that has faced significant increases in crime over the past decade. Khulisa, whose name means “to nurture the development of a person”, uses an array of programs to assist children at risk and young offenders. In addition to working throughout the country, Khulisa also partners with a variety of governmental departments.

Victim Offender Conferencing Pilot Project: South Africa

The Victim Offender Conferencing (VOC) pilot project in South Africa was created in 1999 by a coalition of organizations working in restorative justice. This excerpt is from a 2002 research report compiled by Amanda Dissel, manager of the Criminal Justice Programme of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, with links to the full-text of the available research reports.