Source: (2001) In Restorative justice: A Christian perspective, ed. Rod Carter. Kingston, Ontario: Restorative Justice Program, Queens Theological College. Pp. 7-9.
“What does ‘Restorative Justice’ actually mean?â€? asks Joan Wood. In this personal reflection on restorative justice, Wood, an ex-offender, answers thus: it means needing other people to help restore her emotional and spiritual humanity; and it means assistance to enable her to change into a productive participant in society. Punishment, she argues, does not transform the lives of the incarcerated for the better. It only increases anti-social attitudes and behaviors. Thus, in this essay Wood acknowledges her responsibility for her offending and pleads for proper assistance in helping her and others pursue a quest for restoration to a whole and right humanity.
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