Is restorative justice suited for gender-based violence?
July 18, 2011
The criminal court process forces the victim to relive the experience, often reactivating the trauma after the victim has adjusted to it being in the past. This provokes symptoms of traumatic stress that causes some victims to freeze when testifying and be unable to recall the events, a sign...
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Creating statutes to deliver restorative justice
July 13, 2011
….Vermont’s Tit. 28 Sec. 2a titled “Restorative justice†provides that it is the policy of that state “that principles of restorative justice be included in shaping how the criminal justice system responds to persons charged with or convicted of criminal...
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New Zealand: Rethinking contributes to Circles of Support and Accountability
July 13, 2011
Evaluations of COSA projects overseas have shown significant reductions in recidivism and for those reoffending, a reduction in the severity of offences. Evaluations of the pilot project in Ontario showed Circle participants had a 70% reduction in sexual reoffending compared to matched...
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How to tell if your community is really doing restorative justice
July 13, 2011
Restorative justice is an approach that connects the victim of a crime with the person who committed it in a structured meeting with others present. There’s various ways of setting this up, but the process has the advantage of being more personal than the formal justice system, and more...
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David Daubney of Canada presented the 2011 International Prize for Restorative Justice
June 22, 2011
Daubney’s interest in restorative justice began twenty five years ago when he was a Member of Parliament. He had become concerned about the growing public frustration with criminal justice reflected in increasing demands for the death penalty. “Rather than assume that he...
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Breaking the Cycle: The Government’s response published
June 22, 2011
….Turning specifically to restorative justice, the Government’s response says: “Many victims say the best way harm can be repaired is through participation in restorative justice. We are proposing using restorative justice interventions at each stage of the justice system....
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In the society, community and family of Restorative Justice, 3rd National Conference 2011
June 21, 2011
Breakfast day 1, Mark Yantzi. Hmmm, voice clear. You know the history of Restorative Justice includes the first form of a conference in 1974 of which Mark was the Probation Agent. He was unassuming, polite, kind and I referenced my connections with the client he took from...
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Watchdogs criticise out-of-court penalties
June 21, 2011
Almost half a million crimes were dealt with through cautions or other out-of-court powers in 2010. Out-of-court sanctions also include reprimands, fixed penalty fines and restorative justice projects. The powers were expanded to help police clear up more crimes while at the same time avoid...
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‘Say sorry’ scheme helps exclusions fall at Burnley school
June 21, 2011
Assistant headteacher Helen Campbell said the Writing Wrongs programme had helped year nine students at the Eastern Avenue school prevent and deal with conflicts both inside and outside the school environment. Developed by the Youth Offending Team’s education officer Andy Winters,...
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Reformed Surrey graffiti artist works to rehab those drawn to life of ‘tagging’
June 20, 2011
RestArt was first conceived by grad students and professors in SFU’s School of Criminology, and launched in 2004. Recently, the program was threatened by government funding cuts. ….For his thesis, Agren interviewed seven program co-ordinators who had been involved in the...
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A humanist defence and critique of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission
June 20, 2011
The political elites were invested in a presentation of the TRC as a model of restorative justice (largely conceived as a convenient “forgive and forget†affair which would essentially ensure perpetrators’ impunity) but only applied it to the case of the final conflict over...
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Mediation in penal case reconciliation
June 20, 2011
The striking feature is the way in which it has been codified, in the local Kanuns (canons). The family of the victim may agree to a 24-hour truce with the murderer, during which he must attend the funeral and wake; after that he and his family are at risk for up to three generations if...
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Netherlands child protection law grants families the right to make a plan
June 20, 2011
Rob van Pagée, director of Eigen Kracht Centrale, a nonprofit organization that led lobbying efforts for the law said, “We see this as a validation for the rights of citizens.†….Eigen Kracht conference coordinators are people in the community, not social-work...
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Victim impact statements: Some concerns about current practice and proposed changes
June 20, 2011
….One troubling feature is the way a VIS can serve to demonise an offender in the public mind, especially in particularly graphic cases that attract high-level media attention. While the statements may evoke compassion for victims, which is positive, they may also stir up hatred, fear,...
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Crossing the line: Racial healing in a family and community
June 20, 2011
Unequal access to education is a legacy of slavery. Most slave owners barred their slaves from being educated because they thought education could lead to insurrection. After the Civil War, this reluctance to provide a proper education to African Americans continued. Many U.S. communities...
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