Emily Kim The tension between marginalized communities and law enforcement officers has existed since the establishment of police forces. We acknowledge that the systematically racist and white supremacist issues regarding police forces are complex and therefore can’t be tackled all at once. The essay excerpt below focuses on restorative practices within the current criminal … [Read more...] about Restorative Justice: A New Hope
restorative justice
Community-Based Restorative Justice Systems
What do we mean by community-based & restorative justice? Community and restorative justice is rooted in community values and works to restore all parties, rather than just punishing an offender. Community justice focuses on being transparent in its operation, easily accessible to all, and working to mend relationships throughout the community, to heal the community … [Read more...] about Community-Based Restorative Justice Systems
Community & Restorative Justice – Summer 2020
What do we mean by community-based & restorative justice? Community and restorative justice is a way in which we look at problem solving. According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), restorative practice is defined by “the study of how to build social capital and achieve social discipline through participatory learning and decision making” … [Read more...] about Community & Restorative Justice – Summer 2020
Death Penalty in Slow Motion
Most of the inmates at the facility that I am interested in are there for non-violent (specifically drug-related offenses). The process of re-entry for those in jail for shorter periods of time is much different from those who are imprisoned for longer time periods. I'm curious about the different challenges that people face depending on how long they have been imprisoned. I'd … [Read more...] about Death Penalty in Slow Motion
My Personal Prison Project
I am on a quest to make a change in this world. Inequality, injustice, and inhumanity exist around us, and we need to open our eyes to it. Last year, I joined a club at my university called the Prison Project. Each week I travel to the Northampton County Prison and tutor inmates on a variety of subjects, helping them to prepare for their GED. I love knowledge; I feel that it … [Read more...] about My Personal Prison Project
Circle Sentencing
by Julia Ward After watching the documentary film by Shanti Thakur entitled "Circles", my eyes were open to a whole new social justice system which was very different from our own. The way that people are punished for the crimes that they commit in other countries around the world such as Canada, is nothing like the system that we have in the United States. While our system is … [Read more...] about Circle Sentencing
Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice is about healing, not punishment. Our present justice system is based on the idea that punishment will make people become better members of society. As far as I can see, there is little evidence that this is true. Of course, some people who are convicted of a crime do not offend again, so it may appear that a term in prison changed their behavior—but … [Read more...] about Restorative Justice