Source: (2004) VOMA Connections no. 18 (Fall): 3, 14-16. Downloaded 3 May 2005.
The New Hampshire-based Simple Alliance for Human Empowerment recently organized an electronic dialogue on restorative vs. retributive justice. The “Simple Society” was established in 1993 by John Watkins, who was motivated by his conviction that there are infinitely simpler, more cost-effective and more humane approaches to most of society’s problems. According the group’s Website (http://simsoc.org), “Complexity is not only a significant barrier to solving problems, it may have become the principal problem. (Watkins) believes that complexity is the result of a fragmented approach to problem solving. The fragmented approach is usually caused by the lack of a unified vision of principled human relationship.” In this issue, we reprint edited versions of the “opening statements” of several of those persons who participated in this dialogue. (excerpt)
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.
Donate Now