Source: (2010) Los Angeles Public Interest Law Journal. 3:156-160.
Victim-Offender Dialogue and victim-sensitive offender
programming is controversial. It is something that those not
intimately connected to the crime may never get to understand, but
perhaps the system needs to get out of the way and honor the
humanness behind the crime committed and the power of the human
spirit to heal. Restorative practices that provide opportunity for
dialogue between victim and offender show that such interactions
yield positive outcomes, including both victim and offender
satisfaction with the criminal justice system overall. Unfortunately,
the system struggles to fit a very gray process into their very black
and white operations, policies and procedures. Fortunately, the
desperate pleas of crime victims and survivors to meet with the
person responsible for the crime committed against them and their
families are being heard, and movement in favor of permitting
dialogues is underway. (excerpt)
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