Restorative justice as an alternative approach to juvenile offences
February 27, 2011
….There are many proponents for using restorative methods as an alternative to our mainstream criminal justice system, especially when the offender is a juvenile. Studies show that victims are often more satisfied with the restorative approach than they are with typical courtroom...
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Drawing together research, policy and practice for restorative justice
February 27, 2011
Finally, the seminar will explore any gaps in the area of accreditation and standards of restorative justice. Pulling together the excellent work that has been done by a number of organisations will allow the movement to reflect on what has been done and, in consultation, decide what remains...
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Restorative justice, policing and the Big Society
February 27, 2011
One of those consequences was the erosion of professional discretion and a driving of activity in very prescribed forms. I think the consequence of this top-down culture was that we disempowered the frontline across the public sector, but certainly in relation to the criminal justice system....
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Non-formal education in the Middle East: Giving adolescents a second chance
February 27, 2011
The trial took place that same day. The jury found Humam guilty; the judge sentenced him to apologize to Ayman and granted Ayman the right to hit Humam back but reminded him that he also had the option to forgive Humam. As Ayman moved to hit Humam, the other students circled around. “I...
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Forgiveness scholar opens up on role of faith
February 27, 2011
A major turning point in both his spiritual development and his understanding of forgiveness, Enright said, was the death of his wife Nancy from kidney cancer in 2002. That ordeal, which left him a single father of two young boys, taught him the power of redemptive suffering....
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Justice as restoration of trust
February 21, 2011
….What restorative justice offers, he says, is not so much new justice practices but a different view of crime and a new goal for justice: crime is seen as a source of harm that must be repaired. Moreover, the essential harm of crime is the loss of trust, on both interpersonal and...
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Restorative justice and cheating in class
February 21, 2011
Then we let the student try to answer the question about who had been affected. It’s easy to say “you†or “me†in that situation, but with some prompting it also came out that the classmates (facing an unfair advantage) and the school community (living with an...
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Restorative justice & restorative mediation
February 21, 2011
….Here’s Sandy’s Story. A car accident took her youngest son’s life, but with the powerful restorative mediation process, she came to forgive the driver and heal the pain. And here’s an equally powerful story of another mother who lost her daughter: Note: the...
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So how do you know that an offender means it when they say sorry?
February 21, 2011
Last week we saw 9 Sycamore Tree courses come to a close. Nearly 200 men will have demonstrated their desire to change in this way. Such was the sincerity demonstrated in one prison that a woman who has suffered the murder of a loved one and had attended the course to share her story, stood...
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California’s victims restitution fund running on empty
February 20, 2011
In 2008, lawmakers took $80 million from the fund. Of that, lawmakers classified $45.2 million as payback for a 1994 general fund bailout of the restitution fund. The rest was a shift to the general fund. “We’ve gotten the impression they will not be paying it back,” said...
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Victim Support chief addresses restorative justice conference
February 14, 2011
….He went on to stress the need for restorative justice to be victim led saying: “Victims should not be pressured to take part in ‘out of court’ restorative justice as a cost or time saving measure. One of the cornerstones of restorative justice is its voluntary nature...
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Smart on Crime: Recommendations for the Administration and Congress
February 14, 2011
Fair — The criminal justice system should provide access to all safeguards the U.S. Constitution, state and federal laws, and common sense afford. These include, but are not limited to, guaranteeing the presumption of innocence, providing effective representation, ensuring equal access...
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Awesome things happen when people come together
February 7, 2011
Of course, restorative processes and programmes are appropriate in cases of such serious crimes. I just couldn’t imagine being a first time facilitator working in this context. Yet, my friends from PF Italy took the challenge and organised the group of prisoners and victims to...
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Alcoholic boy of nine found in thug family during anti-social behaviour crackdown
February 7, 2011
“They were really chaotic and in the middle of it all we learned the nine-year-old had a drink problem. To see someone this young with an alcohol dependency is extremely sad.†The family – a mum and three children – were placed on restorative justice programmes. The...
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