Chicago Heights school helps launch anti-violence initiative
January 4, 2012
….After working with lawyers, judges and social workers for eight weeks, the Washington Junior High students gathered Dec. 13 in Court Room 2005 with Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Hogan to discover for themselves the benefits and downfalls of using the justice system to address...
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A relational vision of justice
December 22, 2011
This relational understanding of human beings challenges the prevailing story of who we are, how we are connected, and what we need and deserve from one another. This prevailing story, which underlines many of our social and political institutions and systems, is that of an independent,...
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Intervention in church conflict
December 21, 2011
Conflict actually provides the opportunity for us to communicate, to discuss differences and similarities, to really listen to and hear each other, and to forge solutions which meet the needs of the congregation without harming each other and which actually lead to healing and reconciliation....
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Women key in making peace
December 21, 2011
“Secondly, that we have unique skills and talents that can be used. Thirdly, that whatever we’ve done from North to South, East to West has been recognized as a good thing. Finally, this award is a loud call that no more can we negotiate peace and leave 50 percent of the...
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Increasing restitution for crime victims: A toolkit
December 21, 2011
Setting the Framework: incorporating restitution in an agency mission statement, issuing a clear directive to courts, and setting benchmarks for restitution; Promoting Early Payment: creating the expectation and implementing statutory tools; Making Payment Plans Work: gathering solid...
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Harper government misguided in its tough-on-crime approach
December 21, 2011
Mr. Daubney has strong credentials. As an MP – in the Progressive Conservative Party – he chaired a justice committee that in 1988 recommended a greater focus on alternatives to jail. (Rob Nicholson, the current Justice Minister, was the vice-chair of that committee.) Mr. Daubney...
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Fearmonger and Through The Glass: Books that undermine Harper’s omnibus crime bill
December 21, 2011
Written in an accessible manner while reflecting the author’s own extensive background in criminal law, this analysis picks apart each of the Conservative crime agenda’s multi-pronged proposals based on an objective, reality-based approach that can hardly be accused of...
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Celebrity chef backs new Scottish Police hate crime scheme
December 21, 2011
The scheme – a first in Scotland, and the most wide-ranging in the UK – revolves around Restorative Justice Meetings, where the victim can choose to meet the offender in a safe, structured and neutral environment. Restorative Justice Meetings will be offered to victims of...
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Moving beyond sides: The power and potential of a new public safety policy paradigm
December 21, 2011
When examining the propagation of tough on crime policies, particularly at the state level, certain crime victim advocates have played a powerful role. These victim organizations and activists have created the emotional impetus for the passage of tough on crime policies and have become the de...
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A restorative lens on violence
December 19, 2011
This focus on justice leads us also to distinguish RJ processes, especially with respect to peoples’ experiences of violence, as something different from mediation work within conflict resolution. While conflict and violence certainly may be linked in a given situation, it is important...
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Restorative justice in a case of serious sexual assault
December 19, 2011
From the outset, I knew I wanted to speak with the rapist. I didn’t want to be just another rape statistic. I was a real person, with a real life, who had been really harmed. The collateral damage to my family and friends was immense. I wasn’t aware of Restorative Justice...
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Letting victims define justice
December 19, 2011
If not punishing the bad guy, what does justice look like to victims? The research tells us that the process is often more important to victims than the outcome. Victims who feel they were engaged in the process (i.e. kept informed by police and victim services, met the Crown, had decisions...
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Is restorative justice possible in cases of sexual violence?
December 19, 2011
….What lessons can we learn from this case study? Preparation is key For approximately three months before the conference, Lucy met with her counsellor on a weekly basis to prepare. The counsellor says: ‘it was all about looking at every eventuality; what was the worst case...
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Restorative justice: Making crooks say ‘sorry’ is a success
December 12, 2011
“It means that crimes can be dealt with quickly and efficiently and means that young offenders who do not have a criminal record and are at a low risk of re-offending are not brought before the courts for one mistake. “The re-offending rate for people who have received a...
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Review: Child victims and restorative justice: A needs-rights model
December 12, 2011
Finally, participation is also important for expressive reasons at the individual and community level. Meaningful participation for individual children is an opportunity to express their views in ways that the best available research suggests is likely to assist them in managing their own...
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