Texas achieves dramatic results in criminal justice reform
October 5, 2011
According to the report Adult Corrections Reform: Lower Crime, Lower Costs, policies initiated since 2005 have expanded capacity to alternatives to incarceration that hold nonviolent offenders accountable and provide effective supervision. This has helped Texas reduce its crime rate by...
Read More
Coming face to face with emotion behind office conflict
October 5, 2011
Restorative justice is no longer a novel concept in the court system and it is used widely in juvenile justice. When it comes to workplace conflict, however, most employers still turn to mediation, where strict ground rules apply, everyone must remain emotionally controlled, polite and take...
Read More
Child Justice Act undercut from within
October 5, 2011
….The department of constitutional development and justice and the department of social development were given a year to get the requirements of the Act up and running, with implementation taking place on April 1 2010, a day widely described as historic in the protection of the...
Read More
Restorative justice and violent crime
October 4, 2011
Jenny’s family was outraged that she planned to meet with Dave. “They were hounding me so bad, saying I shouldn’t do the mediation. I questioned whether I really wanted to go through with it. I was scared to death,†she said. “But I knew this was something I...
Read More
The limits of empathy
September 30, 2011
Some influences, which we think of as trivial, are much stronger — such as a temporary burst of positive emotion. In one experiment in the 1970s, researchers planted a dime in a phone booth. Eighty-seven percent of the people who found the dime offered to help a person who dropped some...
Read More
A little girl’s memories stir questions about good and evil: Terror in a small town
September 28, 2011
To write her book, Rebecca told me, she returned to Sellerstown, to the church and home where her life was blown apart. What Rebecca experienced could so easily have turned her bitter and broken. Yet she spoke not of hate and animosity but of love and forgiveness. As we talked, I...
Read More
Alternatives for juveniles in Bulgaria
September 28, 2011
The guiding philosophy behind the project is that children and their families are capable of solving their own problems and all those affected by a crime or harmful behaviour should be included in the response. It incorporates various services such as mentoring, support groups for parents of...
Read More
The IIRP launches its Restorative Practices Blog
September 28, 2011
Blog editor Josh Wachtel writes, “Pull up a chair and we’ll make room for you in the circle. Please feel free to join in the discussion by commenting on posts and engaging with fellow readers and contributors.†Wachtel also welcomes tips about relevant news and events and...
Read More
Is restorative justice a compass without a needle?
September 26, 2011
Overall, she worries that ambiguity about the meaning of the term has led to the field being discredited and also encouraged bad practice. The fact that practice has moved ahead of theory from the beginning has been another source of confusion. In addition, when the term...
Read More
Elements of attitude, for effective Circle-keeping
September 26, 2011
Inclusiveness. Think beyond those in the room, consider that all viewpoints should be respected. Please don’t speak harshly about anyone or any version of reality. If you want to build trust and have people confide in you, be respectful to all. Wholeness. The...
Read More
Restorative Justice Week 2011 materials now available
September 22, 2011
To order posters, basic resource kits, interfaith leaflets, or bookmarks, please complete an Order Form Online | PDF | RTF. You can also click on the related links for printable versions, where applicable. Theme Letter The theme for Restorative Justice Week 2011 was the result of a creative...
Read More
Practitioner Register launched in UK
September 22, 2011
Practitioners are welcome to join us from any field, including education, workplace, criminal justice, or anywhere where restorative practice/processes are being offered. It is accessible both to volunteer and paid staff. The register requires evidence of continuing professional...
Read More
The curious Mr Howard: Legendary prison reformer
September 21, 2011
The son of a well-to-do master upholsterer, he bought an estate at Cardington, Bedfordshire, and devoted himself to being a good landlord and to small-scale scientific interests, including breeding potatoes. His life changed when he was appointed High Sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1773. Normally...
Read More