Are We-Practitioners, Advocates- Practicing What We Preach?

Source: (2004) In, Howard Zehr and Barb Toews, eds., Critical Issues in Restorative Justice. Monsey, New York and Cullompton, Devon, UK: Criminal Justice Press and Willan Publishing. Pp. 273-287.

For people and organizations committed to restorative justice ideas and processes, is restorative justice what they believe in and practice when dealing with clients (e.g., victims, offenders, and others in circumstances of conflict), or is it what they also believe in and practice when developing and delivering programs, and operating in general? Put another way, is restorative justice how they operate externally, or is it also how they operate internally? This is the question of practicing what is preached. David Dyck refers to this as xe2x80x9ccongruency,xe2x80x9d and it is the issue of congruency that he discusses in this chapter. He starts from the position that the question of congruency implies that the answers matter xe2x80x93 that restorative justice advocates and practitioners have an obligation to live out restorative justice values in the pursuit of program development and delivery, and in response to conflict within their organization and their personal life. As he further states, the effectiveness, credibility, and promise of the field depend, at least in part, on the ability of advocates and practitioners to be living examples of the principles they espouse.