Economic analysis of interventions for young adult offenders
February 24, 2010
The unit costs and benefits included in this analysis refer to: The cost of diversion. That is, the cost of diverting young adult offenders away from the criminal justice system or into different paths through the criminal justice system. The cost of the alternative sentences. That is, the...
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Restorative justice and society
February 24, 2010
Merciful justice is a view of justice whereby the notion of (just) retribution is not only perceived as being one-sided and punitive but also as restorative, personal and covering the full width of community life. That is the reason for the addition ‘merciful’ which puts justice...
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What have I done? A victim empathy programme for young people
February 24, 2010
The goal of the book is simple. Wallis, also known for his Pocket Guide to Restorative Justice, promises a “flexible and interactive†programme to “encourage empathy in young people who have committed a specific crime or hurt others.†Guidance is provided to the...
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When culture and restorative justice values collide: Do you have suggestions?
February 24, 2010
Background The indigenous Fijian struggles to live to within three different worlds. That of the Fijian culture, Christian ideals and modern society with its capitalistic and democratic demands. His behavior needs to change since each community’s demands are at times conflicting in...
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What is justice? State program brings victims and offenders face to face
February 22, 2010
Papke and Early’s meeting might sound unusual, but since 1994, more than 560 victims of crimes in Texas have requested similar meetings with convicted prisoners who have wronged them or their families. Forty victims have completed these “mediations,” offered by the Victim...
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Restorative justice: A travelogue
February 22, 2010
And then there were the lessons learned by our group, interpersonal insights that came from the ways we navigated our own tensions and conflicts. As a collection of folks committed to shared goals back in Chicago, our purpose was not just to see new sights but also to deepen our bonds with one...
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PiRi explores restorative sessions
February 21, 2010
For some, the harm they experienced may not warrant the time and effort participation would take. Others want to have input, but do not want to meet face-to-face. Victims often cannot be reached due to faulty contact information or being in prison themselves. Although our first choice is...
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Giving crime victims the right to meet with their offenders: Virginia legislative developments
February 21, 2010
Are victims or crime ever barred from meeting with their offenders in state prison? From my experience, the answer to that question is yes. Should they be? Given the great value of restorative justice meetings in enhancing victims satisfaction with the criminal justice system this...
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Prison Ombudsman seeks apologies from staff for unfair treatment of prisoners
February 16, 2010
My office mediated a good example of this recently when an investigation revealed that two members of staff had been less than professional during a sentence planning meeting. They were both asked to write letters saying sorry for their actions, and the relevant governor apologised on behalf...
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‘Pizza thief’ walks the line
February 11, 2010
Fifteen years ago, the gangly laborer made worldwide headlines when he was convicted of snatching a slice of pizza from a group of children near the Redondo Beach Pier. A judge, citing California’s newly adopted three-strikes law, sentenced him to 25 years to life. Williams —...
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Exonerated man, accuser forge rare bond
February 8, 2010
….It was Cage’s first time in Los Angeles, too. The 43-year-old thought he was doing another interview about his exoneration. He didn’t expect to see his accuser there. His two years of freedom with his family had changed Cage. The resentment he held toward Zilinger had...
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Greensboro redux
February 8, 2010
On Nov. 3, 1979, nine carloads of Ku Klux Klanners and American Nazis — in one of the worst civil rights atrocities in American history — drove into a black public housing project and opened fire on some 100 African-American, White and Latino men, women and children preparing to...
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Panel: Tribunals as restorative justice
February 8, 2010
Tribunals then. They are Criminal Tribunals, not in line with restorative justice. The target of a tribunal is to establish the “truth” regarding the real crime that was planned and who was behind it. The idea is only 15 or so years old… used in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s...
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Philly’s felons: One-man show offers unique perspectives on violent crime in the city
February 8, 2010
In June 2008, Lewis began interviewing Graterford lifers in the Mural Arts’ Restorative Justice Program, in which inmates paint murals that are installed by volunteers in neighborhoods throughout the city. His intent was to write a 20-minute play to be produced for the prison. He found...
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