Muhammad and the ‘closure’ myth
November 10, 2009
Of all the arguments in support of capital punishment, perhaps the most emotionally compelling is that it provides “closure” for the loved ones of murder victims. Prosecuting attorneys, politicians and journalists commonly refer to how executions allow family members to “move...
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Whose side are you on?
November 10, 2009
I am often asked how I got into prison reform work or justice work. I worked in the health care field in Los Angeles in the late 1980’s where I heard Chuck Colson on the radio. I was drawn to that interview which led me to learn more about Prison Fellowship. During that...
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Lisa Rea interviews Stephen Watt
November 5, 2009
Q. Stephen, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Can you tell us briefly about the crime committed against you? What kind of injuries did you sustain? SW: On March 18, 1982 while serving as a Wyoming State Trooper I was searching for a bank robber when I stopped a car to ask...
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Karadzic trial
November 1, 2009
The fiasco of the Milosevic trial produced a growing literature critical of international criminal tribunals and skeptical of the utility of these types of prosecutions. Much of that literature evaluates these types of prosecutions through the lens of restorative justice (broadly how the...
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A challenge
November 1, 2009
What variables should we include? Some initial thoughts: ratio of prison spending to education… percentage of gated communities compared to low-income housing … incarceration rates v. those without healthcare … social distance … social capital … ...
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Restorative justice and victim services collaboration
November 1, 2009
…..Restorative justice is intended to make victims and their needs a priority – not the only priority, but a central one. To do that, practitioners and programs must be truly victim-sensitive. Unless we deeply and constantly engage with victim perspectives, we are...
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Why is it important for people of faith to be involved in domestic violence work?
November 1, 2009
….Early on in my work at Renewal House, I attended a training led by Rhea Almeida about her program in New Jersey and her efforts to provide opportunities for restorative justice. I continually think about that model – and those who say “only someone like Rhea can do that...
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More equal societies do better at almost everything
November 1, 2009
For example, they look at levels of crime and violence, and find that they are far more prevalent in countries like the USA, UK and Portugal and far less common in, say, Japan and Norway. This seems to be exactly as you’d expect if you were looking for a link between violence levels and...
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Restorative justice could actually restore justice
November 1, 2009
….There may, however, be an alternative to despair. This alternative is restorative justice, which involves confronting the perpetrator of a crime with its victim, and having the victim explain the consequences that the crime had. Restorative justice sounds like a soft option, a way of...
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Engaging diasporas in truth commissions: Lessons from the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission (LTRC) Diaspora Project
November 1, 2009
….The rights that states most often seek to vindicate through truth commissions – specifically the right to an investigation, the right to know and the right to reparations – are rights of victims. This is the fundamental distinction between truth commissions and...
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Challenging crime and criminal justice systems in Africa: Towards restoration of Afrocentric justice
November 1, 2009
…Examining the challenges of studying crime and criminal justice systems in Africa, Prof. Etannibi Alemika of the University of Jos, Nigeria worried about inadequate official attention to academic study of crime, criminology and criminal justice discipline in Africa particularly in...
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Forgiveness: Human or Divine?
November 1, 2009
….this film focuses on the theme of forgiveness. Can a woman not only forgive the man who killed her husband, her child, her mother, but accept him as her friend and neighbor? Can a man forgive himself for the brutal act he committed when neither the state nor his victim is asking for...
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Create an apology letter online
November 1, 2009
The website gives this background to the project: The Story Behind this Program This website is the result of an email exchange between Ben Furman and Lorenn Walker. Lorenn initiated contact with Ben after reading his book “Solution Talk” and the two quickly realized that they...
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More on restorative youth justice in Northern Ireland
November 1, 2009
In addition, Martin sent us a link to a recent Thought for the Day on BBC that addressed this report. Prepared by someone identified only as Vishvapani, it reflects both personal experience and Buddhist teaching. Read or listen to the short...
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