North America and Caribbean

Provides articles discussing restorative justice advancements in North America and the Caribbean. Articles appear in the order in which they were added to the site with the most recent appearing first.

• Canada |
• Jamaica |
• United States

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.

Art helps heal crime's wounds

from the article by Howard Zehr in the Philadelphia Inquirer: I admit it. Sometimes I have Philly envy. Philadelphia has a Mural Arts Program, and the community in which I live does not. ....I have been drawn to the arts as a way of reframing the challenges of crime and trauma. The arts can engage the whole person to express or understand the harm done and help harness heart and intelligence to reduce isolation. The arts can provide a way to explore what can be done to give back, and to give voice to the full range of human experience. The act of creation can restore a sense of meaning and agency to those who harmed and those who have been harmed.

Smart on crime: Why reforming criminal justice is now a Conservative issue

from the article in The Edonomist: ....It is not only in Britain that criminal-justice reform has become a right-wing issue. The Right on Crime initiative, a creation of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a think-tank, counts leading Republicans such as Newt Gingrich and Jeb Bush among the fans of its campaign to divert more offenders from prisons to non-custodial sentences. Half of all American states voted to reduce the use of custody last year. There is plenty of room for relaxation in punitive America, which locks up almost one in 100 people (England and Wales put away fewer than one in 500). But similar forces are at work in both places. Fiscal pressure is mounting. Overall crime rates are falling. And stubborn reoffending rates suggest that some things are not working. Prisons are one of them.

First Nations Court opens in North Vancouver

from the article by Todd Coyne in the North Shore Outlook: The judge is out of her usual judging clothes and the court sheriff wears no gun. It’s not immediately apparent — not at first — if these are just oversights, but when Judge Joanne Challenger turns from the convicted man to the packed public gallery and asks for any suggestions on sentencing and the hands go up, it becomes clear: First Nations Court is different. It began in North Vancouver in February, modeled on a similar program in New Westminster that allows anyone who identifies as aboriginal and has been convicted of a crime in provincial court to have their sentence decided in a court that gives special heed to First Nations history.

Angel Ruelas pleads guilty to murder of Pacific Grove teen

from the story by Virginia Hennessey for the Mercyr News: The brother of murder victim Kristopher Eric Olinger and the man who unexpectedly admitted killing the Monterey High School student hope to find some peace as part of the "restorative justice" program. Angel Ruelas' plea Tuesday was a stunning development that came nearly 15 years after Olinger's horrific murder, six years after the defendant's arrest and moments before a pool of prospective jurors were brought into the courtroom for trial.

Growing past hate: 'Restorative justice' helps heal pain from teens' vandalism

from the article by Fred Van Liew in the DesMoines Register: In March of 1994 members of the Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Des Moines awoke to find neo-Nazi graffiti scrawled on the side of their synagogue. There were no immediate suspects, but there was anguish, anger and outrage.

Restorative justice in higher education: A compilation of formats and best practices

from the guide by Justine Darling: ....There are many restorative tools and processes that can be used in the university setting. This guide is specific to Judicial and Residential Life processes within Institutions of Higher Education. Addressed below are the five most common methods of implementation that are used at the 9 colleges and universities in this study. The goal of all 5 Restorative Processes is for the respondent to acknowledge responsibility, identify harm and obligations, and develop a restorative plan agreed upon by the person responsible and impacted parties. Language used in Restorative Judicial Processes is different than the language used in Traditional Judicial Processes so that stigmatization is less likely to occur.

Meeting the murderer: Profile of victim-offender dialogue facilitator

from the entry on Grits for Breakfast: See an interesting article from the Christian Science Monitor about a boat builder from Maine who runs a non-profit facilitating victim-offender dialogue (VOD) between violent criminals and their victims or their families, which is an idea derived from "restorative justice" models.

The Interrupters: A story of restorative justice

from the article by Josh Larsen on Capital Commentary: The interrupters program is based on the work of epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, who compares the spread of violence to the spread of infectious diseases. The interrupters try to stop the infection at its fountainhead, which is where Matthews lives—at the source.

Circles for sex offenders first in the South

from the article by Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan in the Herald-Sun: Durham is starting the first Circles of Safety and Accountability in the South for sex offenders getting out of prison. COSA will match recently released sex offenders in Durham with a circle of people who will meet with them weekly to hold them accountable and support them in re-entering the community. Durham County is home to about 300 convicted sex offenders.

High Hopes Campaign releases a new report about restorative justice

from an article on www.suspensionstories.com: ....This week, the Campaign released a new report, From Policy to Standard Practice: Restorative Justice in Chicago Public Schools,” which illustrates that restorative justice practices improve school attendance, student achievement, school safety and culture. The key recommendations call for CPS to:

In Dharun Ravi trial, criminal retribution will not serve justice

from the Guest Column by Joseph C. d'Oronzio in the Star-Ledger: I watch with increasing discomfort as the arch of justice sways with uncertainty in that New Brunswick courtroom where the fate of former Rutgers University freshman Dharun Ravi is being considered.

Restorative justice focuses on the victim

from the column by Linda Gryczan in the Independent Record: ....There is a growing number of restorative justice programs in Montana for adults and juveniles across reservations and other jurisdictions in Montana, including community youth justice, victim-offender dialogue and victim impact panels. In Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties, certain first time offenders up to age 17, are offered an opportunity to instead of going before a judge, meet with the victim of their crime, his or her parents, community members and a trained facilitator. Victims are encouraged to describe the impact of the crime, offenders are held accountable, and the group decides how the offender will make amends.

Utah’s mental health court addresses repeat offender problems

from Jason Nowa's article on Voices of Utah: Sim Gill believes that jail is for people who have murdered, raped, or who harm children and not a place for the mentally ill. He is currently in the process of trying to accomplish this. Gill, who is the Salt Lake County District Attorney, recently spoke to small group of University of Utah students on about his job and the passions that drive him. Gill spoke about various processes, from how he deals with the death penalty, drug abuse and to the mentally ill committing crimes. The United States jails more people than any other country in the world, he said. Gill estimated around 2.2 million people in the United States are currently incarcerated.

Chicago Public School students face racial discipline gap: Education Department

from the entry by Joy Resmovits on huffingtonpost.com In Chicago public schools, black students receive harsher punishments for in-school infractions than white students, a fact that mirrors a nationwide trend, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday. The report paints a startling picture of racial disparities in how students are disciplined in schools across the country.

Legislature approves restorative justice for juvenile offenders

from the release from the House Democratic Caucus: The state Senate voted 48-0 today to authorize a new evidence-based judicial option that encourages juvenile offenders to take responsibility for their actions and promotes a better understanding of how crimes impact victims.

A view from behind bars: School of Theology and Ministry exhibition showcases artwork by American prisoners

from the article in The Boston College Chronicle: An exhibition of more than 40 works of art that depict images of grief and hope created by men imprisoned in American jails and penitentiaries will open at the School of Theology and Ministry on March 15. “Seeing the Man: Art From Behind Bars, A Vision of Restorative Justice and Healing” will be on display through April 30 in the Atrium Gallery of the STM Library, located at 117 Lake Street on Brighton Campus. The works of art are provided by Do-Right Ministries, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about the American justice system and promotes healing through art.

More action needed to bolster good behavior

from the article by Alan J. Borsuk in the Journel Sentinel: I don't know exactly what happened during a funeral at a church at N. 53rd and W. Burleigh streets last Tuesday, but I know it was bad. I know a lot more about what happened in the library at Bradley Tech High School the next morning, and I know it was good.

Priest's slaying in Birmingham to be remembered in church service

from the article by Greg Garrison in the Birmingham News: The 1921 slaying of a Catholic priest in Birming­ham by a Methodist min­­ister will be the subject of repentance during a 6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday service at Highlands United Methodist Church, 1045 20th Street South, led by United Methodist Bishop William Willimon. "It's going to be a power­ful and a historic event," said Jim Pinto, director of the Father James E. Coyle Memorial Project. "We're not going to live in the past, but we want to more fully understand the past."

Leicestershire Pc Sandie to give US cops policing lesson

from the article in This Is Leicestershire: New York State's police are to get a lesson in policing from a county copper. Pc Sandie Hastings will be heading across the Atlantic for a two-week stint with a US police department to teach its officers about restorative justice. The 58-year-old has been responsible for training her Leicestershire colleagues – and thousands from other British forces – in the concept, in which offenders are made to put right the consequences of their crimes rather than face court action. She will explain the idea to the officers of Rochester Police Department, who patrol the city with the highest per capita homicide rate in New York State.