Tikkun - Restorative Justice 16

WI NT E R 2 UI 2 WWW. T I KKUN.
ORC T I KKUN 1,
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K^lmhkZmbo^
Cnlmb\^
Pesierailve jusilce asks an enilre|] dlllereni sei el quesilens:
Who was harmed?
Whal are lhe needs and resonsibiIilies
of aII affecled?
How do aII affecled arlies logelher address
needs and reair harm?
0ur crlmlna| jusilce s]siem
asks ihese ihree quesilens:
Whal Iaw was broken?
Who broke il?
Whal unishmenl is
warranled?
Houo:o Zch:'s qucstious, os :cstotco b Bcsto:otiuc Justicc fo: Ooklouo Youth
18 T I KKUN WWW. T I KKUN. ORC WI NT E R 2 UI 2
E
IxL n nosL 1nn1 nns svnou1Lu I n wLLu onnuL
and induced lhe weeds lo back away in awe, lhe re-
sloralive juslice movemenl has enlered American
IegaI cuIlure and is osing an imorlanl chaIIenge
lo core assumlions aboul human beings and
aboul lhe very nalure of human reaIily lhal our IegaI cuIlure
has laken for granled for more lhan lwo hundred years.
The Uniled Slales ilseIf was founded on a rinciIe of
human freedom lhal resuosed an inherenl anlagonism
belween seIf and olher, a beIief lhal lhe essenliaI meaning of
Iiberly was lhal we need lo be rolecled ogoiust olher eoIe.
This Iear of lhe Olher was in arl a ralionaI resonse lo lhe
reIigious, sociaI, and economic erseculion lhal had in arl
characlerized revious hisloricaI forms of sociaI Iife, bul il aIso
inlroduced ils own dislorlion inlo our IiberaI sociaI fabric.
il gave rise lo a concelion of sociaI being lhal conceived of
human beings as sociaIIy searaled individuaIs who mighl
form voIunlary reIalionshis wilh olhers lhrough Iove, or
lhrough conlracls, or lhrough voIunlary reIigious and civic
organizalions, or lhrough democralicaIIy eIecled governmenls
wilh slriclIy Iimiled owers, bul who al bollom needed aIways
lo hoId in reserve lhe memory lhal lhe olher osed a lhreal
lo one`s Iiberly and who lherefore required a binding IegaI
cuIlure lhal Iaced lhe righls of lhe individuaI above aII olher
sociaI goods.
ImIicil in lhis worIdview has been lhe conviclion lhal we
are nol inherenlIy connecled beings whose fuIIImenl comes
lhrough our muluaI recognilion of one anolher, lhrough lhe
inherenl bond of our sociaI nalure lhal is comIeled lhrough
lhe embrace of Iove and soIidarily, bul ralher lhal we are casl
inlo lhe worId as disconnecled monads who onIy come inlo
reIalion afler lhe facl of our individuaI incarnalions, wilh lhe
borders belween us being in need of conslanl oIicing lo make
sure lhal lhe seduclion of lrusl never Ieads us lo Iel down our
guard. WhiIe we mighl voIunlariIy engage in any fooIish de-
endency on lhe olher lhal we choose, lhe Iaw is aIways lhere
lo guaranlee as a maller of Iaw lhal nolhing acluaIIy biuos us
excel our muluaI and soIemn commilmenl lo our everIasling
onloIogicaI searalion.
Liberty as Spiritua| Separation
in American Law
As vou nLnu 1nIs rnoH wI1nI voun ow vnIvn1L svncL,
as you fIoal lhrough lhe soIilude of your day, consider how
lhe inslilulions of American Iaw condilion and enveIo you in
lhe siriluaI rison of your searalion. You are a cilizen in a
democracy, bul lhe mosl fundamenlaI righl lhal denes lhal
democracy is lhe secrel baIIol ralher lhan a rocess exressive
of any communaI bond lhal uniles us. You are IegaIIy bound lo
aII olhers lhrough a conslilulion lhal rolecls you againsl,
and lherefore afrms lhe conslanl lhreal of, infringemenl on
your righl lo freedom of seech, of reIigion, of associalion, and
your righl lo be rolecled againsl olhers searching your house
or making you quarler soIdiers or laking away your guns . bul
lhal binding conslilulion afrms nolhing aboul our conneclion
lo one anolher and lherefore offers no commilmenl lo making
Irom IndividuaI Righls lo lhe BeIoved Communily.
A New Vision of Juslice
by Peler GabeI
Pctc: Gobcl is coito:-ot-lo:gc of Tikkun ouo thc outho: of The Bank TeIIer and Olher Essays on lhe PoIilics of Meaning (ouoiloblc ot
tikkuu.o:g/sto:c).
Whot if Loo Justicc uc:c ouuio:tiol? A ucu lcgol cultu:c bosco ou
cuoth ouo co:c uight iusi:c o bcttc: usc fo: thot bliuofolo of hc:s.
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WI NT E R 2 UI 2 WWW. T I KKUN. ORC T I KKUN 1
sure lhal our sociaI conneclion wiII be reaIized lhrough our
IegaI rocess. The subslanlive Iaw of roerly guaranlees lhal
we can own searale Iand arceIs and excIude olhers from lhose
arceIs, bul affirms no binding obIigalion lo share lhe Iand,
or lhe food lhal il roduces, or lhe sheIlers lhal we conslrucl
uon il. The Iaw of conlracls guaranlees our freedom lo enler
binding agreemenls wilh olhers, bul in a sociaI conlexl lhal
assumes we are comelilors in a markelIace whose goaI is lo
gel lhe benel of our bargains, ralher lhan cooeralors whose
inlenlion is lo reaIize ourseIves lhrough muluaI fuIIImenl and
shared objeclives. Torl Iaw assures we are rolecled againsl
olhers who mighl uII a chair oul from under us as we sil down
lo lhe dinner labIe, or inlenlionaIIy or negIigenlIy harm us on
highways or in lhe oeraling room or lhrough lhe consumer
goods we buy in lheir slores, bul il does nol affirm lhal we
have any duly lo care for each olher, lo rescue each olher if
we are in dislress, or lo olherwise acl in accordance wilh a
bond emanaling from our common humanily. Under lhe Iaw
of cororalions, sharehoIders are assumed lo be anonymous
inveslors seeking as discrele individuaIs lo maximize lheir
shorl-lerm rols and lo be bound lo each olher soIeIy by lhal
goaI, ralher lhan lo be sociaIIy resonsibIe beings uniled by
a cororale asiralion lhal wiII furlher lhe weII-being of lhe
communily or lhe Ianel. And finaIIy lhere is lhe criminaI
Iaw, which underslands sociaI vioIence of aII kinds as freeIy
chosen individuaI acls againsl lhe slale caIIing for unishmenl
of lhe individuaI aclor ralher lhan as sociaI acls exressive of
dislorlions wilhin an inherenlIy sociaI fabric lhal caII for reair
of lhe sociaI fabric ilseIf.
The conviclion lhal we can onIy be bouuo by our searalion
and nol by our conneclion is refIecled nol onIy in lhe
subslance of Iaw, bul aIso in our forms of IegaI reasoning and
our embodied IegaI rocesses lhemseIves. We have Iearned
lo equale due rocess wilh lhe adversary syslem, which
denes conicls as conlesls belween oonenls who cannol
lrusl each olher lo leII lhe lrulh and who lherefore have every
righl lo lear each olher down lhrough cross-examinalion even
if one beIieves lhe olher side is leIIing lhe lrulh. Each side
in lhe gIadialoriaI combal is encouraged lo aggrandize lhe
correclness of his or her own osilion, lo never admil weakness
or doubl or fraiIly for fear of undermining one`s case, and lo
demean and minimize lhe olher side . because lhal is lhe onIy
way lo absoIuleIy guaranlee lhal no one in lhe roceeding
neilher judge, jury, nor one`s adversarywiII be laken in by
misIaced lrusl. Evidence is Iimiled lo emiricaI roof of hard
facls, asl human exeriences emlied of feeIing and resenled
as mere observed behaviors, subjecl lo reIenlIess lesling for
misercelion or hearsay, because aIIowing in lhe meaning
and feeIing of asl evenls wouId be inherenlIy subjeclive and
couId nol be lrusled lo be resenled or heard wilhoul bias
and dislorlion. And hovering over lhe enlire roceeding are
lhe ruIes, wilh juslice being dened as accurale aIicalion of
lhe ruIes lo lhe facls according lo an anaIylicaI form of IegaI
reasoninglhe cIever roducl of lhe much veneraled IegaI
mindlhal excIudes comassion or emalhy or care or lhe
asiralion lo a worId based on Iove and underslanding, and
inslead vaIorizes Iogic and common sense, lhe common sense
of a worId based on individuaI seIf-inleresl and ercelion of
lhe olher as a slranger whose inleresls cIash wilh ralher lhan
comIele our own.
The Cenius oI the Libera| Lea|
Framework and the Harm Created By It
As urLn11LnIo n von1nnI1 ns I nnvL vnI1Lu nLnL or
our inheriled IegaI cuIlure, we cannol bul recognize lhe genius
lhal animales il and lhal unies aII ils eIemenls. If one wished
lo conslrucl a binding image of lhe sociaI worId lhal wouId
maximaIIy rolecl lhe individuaI againsl aII of lhe ossibIe
eviIs of subjeclion lo lhe olher lhal have occurred lhroughoul
hislorysIavery, serfdom, lhe burning of miIIions of women
al lhe slake for heresy and wilchcrafl, crueI and unusuaI
unishmenls Iike drawing and quarlering or lhe slockades,
every form of demonizalion lhrough suerslilion, rojeclion,
and magicaI lhinkinglhe generalions lhal receded ours
did a remarkabIe job of invenling a syslem of juslice lhal was
aIerl lo lhe risk of lhe lhreal osed by lhe olher al every lurn.
And we shouId admire and embrace lhe equaIIy remarkabIe
accomIishmenls for which lhis commilmenl lo individuaI
Iiberly has been in significanl arl resonsibIelhe arliaI
overcoming of lhe inheriled sociaI hierarchies of lhe arislocracy,
and more recenlIy of racism, sexism, and, increasingIy,
homohobia by graduaIIy eIiminaling as a maller of Iaw lhe
Iegilimacy lhal lhese slereolyes and negalive judgmenls
couId formerIy cIaim. WhiIe lhe IiberaI revoIulions of lhe Iale
eighleenlh cenlury couId nol direclIy address and overcome
lhe causes of lhese forms of sociaI injuslice because lheir own
worIdview recognizes onIy lhe righls of sociaIIy searaled
individuaIs ralher lhan lhe need for a IegaI cuIlure and rocess
lo heaI lhe sociaI dislorlions of an inherenlIy sociaIIy connecled,
inlerhuman universe, il is nonelheIess lrue lhal lhe hisloricaI
affirmalion of lhe dignily of lhe individuaI lhal was born in
lhe EnIighlenmenl and became binding on us one lo lhe olher
al lhe end of lhe eighleenlh cenlury has made an immense
conlribulion lo our aulonomy from lhe church, lhe slale,
inheriled casle syslems, and aII olher ways lhal exIoilalion and
dominalion by lhe olher had reviousIy been IegaIIy juslied.
Yel as we now Iook oul al and Iive wilhin lhe enveIoe of
lhe worId we have lhus crealed, we musl come lo reaIize by a
kind of evoIulion or enIighlenmenlby waking ulhal lhe
IiberaI framework, lhe framework of searalion, is nol
onIy inadequale bul harmfuI. Il is harmfuI because il mis-
characlerizes a hoefuI, olenliaIIy Ioving, olenliaIIy muluaIIy
confirming and anchoring coIIeclive desliny as a desliny of
soIiludes. And because lhe IiberaI worIdview is nol mereIy a
maller of oinion, bul is made binding lhrough Iaw on aII
cilizens, il forms a kind of conslanl unconscious backdro
lhal olhers are receding away from us, lhal we musl ursue
our own seIf-inleresl, rolecl ourseIves, and endure lhe alhos
2u T I KKUN WWW. T I KKUN. ORC WI NT E R 2 UI 2
of our Iives and dealhs as soIilary beings. SliII more, because
we in reaIily are nol soIilary beings bul beings animaled by
lhe Ionging for muluaI recognilion, afrmalion, and Iove, lhe
IiberaI worIdview inevilabIy generales a kind of chronic sociaI
aranoia lhal resuIls from lhe conlradiclion belween lhe
inlerhuman lrulh of our sociaI nalure and lhe sociaI message
lhal lhe olher cannol be lrusled. As a way of medialing lhis
conlradiclion, of lrying lo salisfy lhe need for conneclion
wilh olhers in a sociaI worId in which olhers are resenled as
a lhreal lo our individuaI safely and inlegrily, many of us are
drawn lo grandiose, imaginary coIIeclive idenlilies of erfecl
unily (lhe Nalion, God, lhe IamiIy, lhe Gang) accomanied by
demonizalion of olher grouings who become lhe reosilory
of our fear of nonrecognilion and humiIialion lhal our own
Ionging for Iove, accelance, and recognilion wiII be rejecled
ralher lhan recirocaled. In lhis way, lhe IiberaI aradigm
acluaIIy lends lo creale and recreale lhe very forms of
unfreedom and inequaIily lhal in ils conscious asecl il seeks
lo deIegilimize and eradicale. Thus as Dr. Seuss suggesls in
Thc uttc: ottlc ook, in lhe worId as il is we may use IegaI
means lo eIiminale racism, sexism, and olher lradilionaI forms
of demonizalion onIy lo lurn lo dividing lhe worId belween
lhose who buller lheir bread on one side and lhose who buller
il on lhe olher.
Transcendin Libera|ism:
A New Vision oI Lea| Cu|ture
So ns Hucn ns wL suvvon1 1nL onLn1 nccoHvLIsnHL1s
of lhe IiberaI revoIulions and as much as we shouId conlinue
lo fighl for lhe remaining IiberaI gains nol yel won (Iike lhe
righl lo gay marriage) wilhin lhal asl and assing aradigm,
we need aIso lo suorl lhe lranscendence of lhal aradigm
loward a new vision of Iaw and IegaI cuIlure lhal seeks lo fos-
ler emalhy, comassion, reconciIialion wilh lhe olher, and
lhe fundamenlaI rediscovery lhal lhe olher is nol essenliaIIy a
lhreal, bul lhe source of our comIelion as sociaI beings.
AIong wilh lhe remarkabIe Trulh and ReconciIialion
Commission in Soulh Africa, which demonslraled lhal a IegaI
rocess can be used in lhe service of heaIing even lerribIe acls
of sociaI vioIence and which made ossibIe lhe overcoming
of Aarlheid wilhoul lhe exlensive bIoodshed and counler-
vioIence common lo rior revoIulions, lhe mosl significanl
harbinger of lhe new aradigm has been lhe resloralive jus-
lice movemenl lo which we are devoling lhis seciaI issue of
Tikkuu. The crilicaI difference belween resloralive juslice and
lhe IiberaI modeI of juslice lhal we have inheriled from rior
generalions is lhal resloralive juslice begins by embracing an
ideaI of juslice nol as a bIind woman deciding wilhoul reju-
dice which of lwo equaI individuaIs has lhe beller righl lo be
vindicaled under lhe Iaw, bul ralher Marlin Lulher King`s ideaI
of juslice as Love correcling lhal which revoIls againsl Iove.
In olher words, resloralive juslice begins wilh a worIdview in
which we are aIready in reIalionshi, and in which our grealesl
asiralion is lo reaIize lhe ossibiIily of muluaI underslanding
and accelance lhrough new siriluaIIy aIive IegaI rocesses
lhal are designed lo lry lo heaI lhe dislorlions lhal have masked
lhal ossibiIily of heaIing and redemlion from us.
As you read aboul lhe ways of resloralive juslice in lhe essays
lhal foIIow, wilh lheir emhasis on lhe imorlance of laking
resonsibiIily, erforming reslilulion lo lhose harmed, and
asiring lo aoIogy and forgiveness as means of reinlegraling
broken reIalionshis and somelimes knilling logelher and
reairing whoIe communilies, lry lo imagine a worId in which
resloralive juslice rocesses are being conducled on a daiIy
basis in lhe cily haIIs and olher major civic buiIdings in lhe
cenler of lhe cilies or lowns lhal you Iive in. Imagine how much
lhis change in lhe IegaI cuIlure of your cily or lown wouId aIler
lhe way you erceive your neighbors and lhe siriluaI and moraI
characler of communilies and neighborhoods lhal surround
you. Ior il is in lhe ubIic manifeslalions of resloralive juslice
lhal ils lrue sociaI imacl wiII be feIl. ils caacily lo eslabIish
lhrough ubIic visibiIily and Iegilimacy lhal we are coming lo
recognize and ubIicIy acknowIedge whal we have known and
Ionged for aII our Iiveslhal we are in lhis logelher, lhal we are
nol innileIy and elernaIIy searaled by whal divides us, and
lhal whiIe acknowIedging and resecling lhe conlribulions lo
us of our forefalhers (or, if you Iike, our founding falhers), we
can risk Ieaving lhem behind. Q
"Thc Uuitco Stotcs itsclf uos fouuoco ou o . bclicf thot thc csscutiol ucouiug of libc:t uos thot uc ucco to bc :otcctco againsl othc: colc,
Pctc: Gobcl u:itcs. As o :csult, ou: lcgol cultu:c sccs huuous os isolotco iuoiuiouols, uot ucubc:s of o couuuuit.
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1 1nL 1ov or oL or RIo uL JnLIno`s rnvLLn
shanlylownsone of severaI recenlIy occuied
by heaviIy armed miIilary oIice unilsan
uneasy galhering begins. Where momenls
before chiIdren chased a baII, now IocaI
Ieaders on severaI sides of Rio`s Iong and comIex sociaI divide
assembIe lo hesilanlIy, courageousIy Iook al each olher and al
whal lhey have in common. The galhering incIudes members
of residenl associalions, IocaI shokeeers, eIders, youlh
Ieaders, oIice, and members of lhe drug gangs lhal, unliI
recenlIy, conlroIIed lhe running of communily Iife.
A few shorl weeks before, lhese same aclors had mel in lhe
same Iace bul in a comIeleIy differenl way. enmily across
cIass and sociaI divides had exIoded inlo elroI bombs,
rubber buIIels, and serious injury. Slralegies of reression and
revoIl came lo bIows; oulrage, ain, and fear foIIowed. As lhe
BraziIian saying goes, we`ve seen lhis Im before.
Now lhose resenl al lhe galhering form a circIe. This
simIesl, mosl ancienl of sociaI allerns describes an
inlenlionlo recognize lhe olher, lo share meaning, lo invile
lrulh-leIIing. Guided by recise queslions drawn on lhe
waII for aII lo see, lhe arlicianls edge forward in lhal mosl
counler-inluilive of sociaI discourses. diaIogue. An occasionaI
hand is raised in emhasis, whiIe lhe olher remains rmIy on
a miIilary-grade weaon. This is nol a lruce. Il is a new way lo
engage, a rediscovered force wilh lhe olenliaI lo lransform
sociaI reaIily. As one arlicianl describes in a break, Il`s hard.
I sliII remember when he shol my brolher. Bul lhis is differenl.
When he lries lo undersland me, we are Iess enemies. I can see
in his eyes il`s lhe same for him.
In Iess lime lhan il had laken for lhe revious monlh`s riol
lo make lhe evening news, a slralegy is agreed uon. a sel of
voIunlary agreemenls lhal resond lo lhe key concerns of
lhose resenl. The arlies aIso agree on a lime frame for lhe
imIemenlalion and evaIualion of lhe agreemenls.
The slruclure and rocess lhal guided lhe meeling lhal
evening began lo emerge aImosl lwo decades earIier, al lhe
heighl of oIice and gang confIicl in lhe mid-1us. In lhe
years lhal foIIowed, I worked wilh olhers in BraziI lo deveIo
an inlegraled, syslemic resonse lo ainfuI confIicl, crime,
and disagreemenl. This resonse encomasses bolh a unique
resloralive raclice and a secic aroach lo crealing lhe sys-
lemic condilions wilhin which such a resloralive raclice, and
ils resuIls, can emerge. As a coordinaled whoIe, lhis secic
resonseknown as Resloralive CircIesreresenls Iess a de-
ned rocedure and more a dynamicaIIy shifling invesligalion
inlo lhe ower of communily seIf-resonsibiIily and ersonaI
resonsiveness lo lhe inlerdeendenl web of our Iives.
Resloralive CircIes have been exlensiveIy used in schooIs,
courl syslems, risons, famiIies, and organizalionsand more
recenlIy in failh communilies, hosilaIs, universilies, and de-
veIomenl work. In each of lhese varied sellings, as in each
unique subcuIlure in which resloralive raclices deveIo, lhe
forms necessariIy shifl. NeverlheIess, lhe dening characleris-
lics of Resloralive CircIes remain rooled
WaIking Toward Conicl
by Dominic Barler
Douiuic o:tc: hos bccu octiuc iu thc fclo of uouuiolcucc ouo sociol justicc iu uo:c thou fftccu couut:ics. Hc co-ocucloco thc Bcsto:otiuc Ci:clcs
:octicc (:csto:otiucci:clcs.o:g) usco iu couuuuitics ouo iustitutious, ouo iu thc :o:iliou gouc:uucut's UNDP- ouo UNESCO-suo:tco :csto:otiuc
justicc ilot :ojccts.
Iu o g:ouiug uuubc: of fouclos iu :o:il, likc this ouc iu Guo:ujo,
Soo Poolo, sstcus houc bccu sct u so :csiocuts cou b:iug thci:
couficts to Bcsto:otiuc Ci:clcs.
(coutiuuco ou ogc 7u)
P
nL I oo1 1nL cnLL rnoH Hownnu
Zehr, I baIked al lhe idea.
In a cailaI case? He shol her in lhe
head? No chance, Howard.
Howard agreed, bul encouraged me
lo seak wilh lhe young man`s molher and exIain, from a
resloralive Iawyer`s erseclive, why il wouIdn`l work.
Go ahead and give her my number. Bul I don`l have any-
lhing good lo leII her. Whal I do here wilh kids in OakIand is
never going lo haen in a cailaI case in IIorida.
Wilhin lhe hour I was seaking wilh Conor`s warm and
lenacious molher, JuIie McBride, who learfuIIy loId me how
a few monlhs earIier her nineleen-year-oId honor sludenl,
Ianning lo lake his own Iife, shol his ance inslead. Conor
drove himseIf lo lhe oIice slalion and confessed. She wenl on
lo exIain lhal everyone wanled lhe case resoIved lhrough
resloralive juslice.
Even lhe viclim`s arenls? I asked.
Yes! Kale and Andy Grosmaire are lhe ones who loId me
aboul resloralive juslice.
You`re in conlacl wilh lhem?
I jusl had breakfasl wilh lhem Iasl week. My husband,
MichaeI, meels wilh Andy every Iriday. And bolh of Ann`s
arenls visil Conor in jaiI.
JuIie, il sounds Iike a remarkabIe silualion. Bul I`m jusl
nol sure whal we can do in a rsl-degree homicide case al lhis
slage of lhe game.
I wenl on lo exIain how I faciIilale resloralive raclices in
OakIand lo meel viclims` needs whiIe keeing chiIdren oul of
lhe juveniIe juslice syslem for crimes Iike burgIary and leen
daling vioIence. I loId her aboul famiIy grou conferencing
how viclims, famiIies, oIice, lhe dislricl allorney, and
affecled communily members meel face-lo-face wilh lhe chiId
who caused harm lo deveIo a Ian lo reair lhe harm and
suorl lhe young erson lo foIIow lhal Ian.
Bul nol yel for cases wilh gun charges or for homicides, Iel
aIone rsl-degree murder. JuIie, il look me years lo buiId lhe
kind of lrusl I have wilh lhe DA`s ofce here. So even if your
son and lhe viclim`s famiIy are amenabIe, I jusl can`l imagine
The Day lhe JaiI WaIIs Cracked.
A Resloralive PIea DeaI
by Sujalha BaIiga
Sujotho oligo is o scuio: :og:ou scciolist ot thc Notiouol Couucil ou C:iuc ouo Dcliuqucuc ouo thc fouuoiug oi:ccto: of thc Po:ogotc
P:ojcct, ou o:goui:otiou ocoicotco to uolkiug uith colc uho o:c calo:iug fo:giucucss.
Auo G:osuoi:c tolks obout his ooughtc:, Auu, uho uos killco b
hc: foucc, Couo:. Thc G:osuoi:cs oskco fo: o :csto:otiuc justicc
:occss to :csoluc thc cosc, o highl uuusuol :cqucst f:ou thc o:cuts
of o uu:oc: uictiu.
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how we couId uII lhis off in a homicide case
in lhe IIorida anhandIe. So I jusl can`l Iel
you hire me since I can`l imagine how I can
heI you.
I undersland lhal you can`l make any
romises, bul Iease, if you jusl laIk wilh lhe
Grosmaires, I lhink youÌI wanl lo be invoIved
in lhis case, JuIie ressed.
Sure, I said, never execling lo hear from
lhem. Jaded by my asl work as a defense
Iawyer, I dismissed JuIie as anolher wonder-
fuI molher hoIding oul an imossibIe hoe.
Bul lhe very nexl day, I was Iislening lo
Kale and Andy Grosmaire leII lhe slory of
how lhey Iosl lheir daughler, Ann. Il broughl
lears lo my eyes lo hear lhal when Conor`s
falher waIked inlo lhe hosilaI, Andy em-
braced him. Then Kale shared how, desile
knowing lhal her youngesl daughler wouId
be laken off Iife suorl Ialer lhal day, she
visiled Conor in jaiI lo leII him lhey had
forgiven him. I Iearned lhal aII of lhis was
grounded in lheir dee CalhoIic failh.
If God forgives us, how can we nol forgive
Conor? Andy asked.
As I Iislened lo lhe Grosmaires` slory of seemingIy imossibIe
Iove and forgiveness, my feeIing lhal nolhing couId be done
slarled lo shifl. WhiIe forgiveness is nol a rerequisile for
slarling resloralive work, nor even required as an oulcome, if by
some siriluaI or sychoIogicaI grace il has aIready laken Iace
in one or more of lhe survivors il can be exlremeIy heIfuI.
We mel wilh lhe Slale`s Allorney; lhe dealh enaIly is aI-
ready off lhe labIe, lhe Grosmaires exIained. We don`l need
Conor lo serve lhe resl of his Iife in rison and we have no in-
leresl in lhis case going lo lriaI. We`d Iike lo have resloralive
juslice be lhe way lhis case gels handIed.
Bul even wilh viclims so wiIIing lo come lo lhe labIe,
achieving a resloralive oulcome in a homicide case wouId
be an uhiII ballIe. This was a conservalive jurisdiclion on
lhe IIorida anhandIe wilh severe enaIlies for gun crimes.
Conor McBride had red a sholgun al Ann Grosmaire al cIose
range, and his confession made cIear lhal whiIe il wasn`l re-
medilaled, il wasn`l an accidenl, eilher. Resloralive diaIogues
in cases lhis serious do haen, bul onIy afler a defendanl is
weII inlo his]her Ienglhy rison senlence. Bul somelhing in
lhe voices of bolh Ann`s and Conor`s arenlsa wisdom and
beauly and crealivily growing oul of an unlhinkabIe horror
made me incaabIe of saying no chance as ianlIy as I`d
said il lo Howard Zehr lhe day before.
I lhoughl aboul how resloralive juslice, al ils besl, uses ar-
licialory diaIogue lo cenlraIize viclims` needs, and how il uses
coIIaboralive decision making lo decide lhe oulcome of a case.
The Grosmaires were asking for resloralive juslice al ils besl.
They wanled lo meel wilh Conor nownol
in fleen yearslo exIain lhe imacl of his
crime and ask lhe kind of queslions viclims
never gel answered in our lradilionaI juslice
syslem. They had a righl lo know. How couId
lhis have ossibIy haened? Whal were my
daughler`s Iasl words? How can we be sure
youÌI never harm someone eIse again? And
as lhe ones lruIy aggrieved by Conor`s crime,
lhey deserved lo be o o:t of foshiouiug thc
lcgol outcouc in lhis case.
OK. I look a dee brealh. IÌI laIk lo
Conor`s Iawyer and see if lhere`s somelhing
lhal we can do.
The firsl words oul of Conor`s Iawyer`s
moulh were nol unexecled.
Never heard of anylhing Iike il. You wanl
us aII lo sil down logelher and figure oul
whal shouId haen lo Conor? Iocc to focc
iusioc joil?
I resonded lhal whiIe I underslood his
discomforl, resloralive rocesses are by no
means unheard of. PeoIe have been doing
lhis for miIIennia aII around lhe worId, and
il`s an idea whose lime has come in lhe Uniled
Slales. So by lhe end of our conversalion I was a member of lhe
defense leam as lhe resloralive juslice exerl. Conor`s Iawyer
had a cIear underslanding lhal I was nol a lradilionaI defense
leam member, bul ralher heId a sace in lhe middIe where I
couId work lo meel lhe needs of everyone invoIved in lhis case.
And Ann`s arenls underslood lhal I was a member of Conor`s
defense leam lo reserve lhe condenliaIily of lhe rocess, nol
because I was on lhe olher side.
I heard lhose same wordsnever heard anylhing Iike il
from lhe roseculor, from jaiI slaff, from reorlers, and from
communily members. Maàm, in my lwenly-six years of run-
ning lhis jaiI, I`ve never seen such a lhing. I wouId Iove lo be a
y on lhe waII for lhal conversalion. Whal a remarkabIe idea.
Each erson whose arovaI or heI I needed wouId slay on lhe
hone jusl a few minules Ionger. In lhose exlra momenls I feIl
hearls and minds oen lo a differenl way of doing lhings.
The IegaI vehicIe for lhis rocess was lhe re-Iea
conference. TradilionaIIy, lhe re-Iea conference is a meeling
belween lhe defense allorney and lhe roseculor in which
Iea deaIs gel duked oul. No one eIse, nol even lhe defendanl,
is resenl for lhose meelings. Like aII sellIemenl conferences,
nolhing lhal comes oul in lhose meelings is admissibIe al
lriaI. The idea arose lo have everyone be a arl of lhal rocess.
Conor, his arenls, lhe Grosmaires, lheir riesl, and lhe lwo
allorneys.
I was confidenl aboul each erson`s caacily lo bring
honesl feeIings and reaIislic execlalions lo lhe rocess. In our
weekIy hone caIIs, Conor was consislenl in his accelance of V
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Kotc ouo Auo G:osuoi:c uc:c
occl offcctco b Cotholic tcochiugs
obout fo:giucucss.
resonsibiIily, and seemed deeIy sincere in his desire lo send
lhe resl of his Iife reaying an unayabIe debl. His arenls were
abIe lo hoId him resonsibIe whiIe Ioving him uncondilionaIIy.
MichaeI came lo lhe labIe wilh a rofound caacily lo exIore
how his arenling had affecled Conor. And lhe Grosmaires
were dedicaled lo Ann`s dealh being lransformed inlo a seed
of somelhing lranscendenl. They were wiIIing lo arliciale in
lhis rocess knowing lhal lhe lrulh of whal haened lhal day
mighl lesl lheir caacily lo forgive. Bolh lhe defense allorney
and lhe roseculor needed lo sle oul of lheir lradilionaI
adversariaI roIes. And Conor`s jaiIers had lo beIieve lhal il
was safe lo aIIow aII of us lo sil in a room logelher. Al Kale
Grosmaire`s requesl, Conor was lo be unshackIed.
I ew in a few days before lhe re-Iea conference lo malch
some faces and Iaces lo lhe hearls and minds I had come lo
Iove. In TaIIahassee I gol lo know more aboul lhe one erson
I wiII never gel lo meelAnn. She was revered for her greal
comassion lowards animaIs. A devoul CalhoIic, an honor slu-
denl, and a slage manager wilh a quirky sense of humor, Ann
was jusl becoming comforlabIe as an aclress in her own righl.
She was exlremeIy rivale, keeing from even her sislersher
besl friendslhal Conor`s anger was growing oul of conlroI.
Wanling lo undersland lhe delh of lhe Ioss, I had ac-
celed lhe Grosmaires` invilalion lo slay in lheir home. Some
of my Iawyer friends had queslioned lhal choice, worrying
aboul boundaries. Kay Pranis, my menlor and friend, ul il
so beaulifuIIy.
Boundaries? In lhis work we are lrying lo gel rid of
boundaries, Sujalha. The imorlanl lhing is lo have a slrong
cenler, nol slrong boundaries.
In a liny cinderbIock room in lhe Leon Counly JaiI lhal
wouId hoId five hours of sorrow, confessions, lrauma, Iove,
and forgiveness, we crealed lhal slrong cenler. We draed a
iece of cIolh on lhe oor and decoraled il wilh reresenla-
lions of Ann. A lrohy. A box IIed wilh noles belween Ann
and Conor. A rubber leelhing giraffe lhal Ann suggesled lo
cuslomers al lhe baby boulique she worked in. A Iasler casl
of Ann`s hand made whiIe she was Iying in her hosilaI bed.
Ann had remarkabIy Iong, deIicale ngers.
Ialher MichaeI IoIey, lhe Grosmaires` riesl, oened wilh
rayer. The roseculor briey summarized lhe charges and
lhe facls of lhe case. Then, lhe Grosmaires shared lhe slory of
lheir beIoved daughlerwhal her Iife had been and whal her
dealh had laken from lhem. Wilhoul vindicliveness, lhey did
nol sare Conor lhe lolaIily of whal he had done. When lhey
finished, we Iislened lo Ann`s favorile hymn, AngeI Band,
and lhen sal in siIence for a few minules lo honor her.
AII eyes lurned loward Conor. I asked him lo leII us, in his
own words, how he`d laken Ann`s Iife. The slory was nol so
differenl from whal lhe oIice had recorded in his confession.
Bul hearing il from his moulh in lhe resence of Ann`s
arenls was devaslaling. As Kale said in a radio inlerview a
few monlhs Ialer, afler Conor soke, we had lo remind
ourseIves lhal we had forgiven him.
Afler everyone was given lime lo seak, we lurned lo lhe
difficuIl queslion of whal Conor needed lo do lo begin lo
redeem himseIf. There was laIk of anger managemenl and
domeslic vioIence counseIing. Conor agreed lo seak al high
schooIs aboul leen daling vioIence. He aIso soke of lhe lyes
of voIunleer work lhal Ann wouId have done had she Iived;
Kale loId Conor he carried lhe burden of doing lhe good works
of lwo eoIe when he was evenluaIIy reIeased.
The Iasl queslion was by far lhe mosl chaIIenging. How
much lime shouId Conor serve? I had asked everyone lo lhink
aboul lhis far in advance of lhis day.
The Trials of Spinoza
Tariq Ali
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Distributed by the University of Chicago Press
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Performing Captivity,
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Cabarets and Plays from the
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Edited and with an
Introduction by Lisa Peschel
With a Preface by Ivan Klma
PAPER $25.00
(coutiuuco ou ogc +)
Auu ouo Couo: osco iu thc G:osuoi:cs' bocko:o ou thc oo of thci:
scuio: :ou, Mo 2uu.
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1nL UI1Lu S1n1Ls, 1nL cnIHInL 1us1IcL svs1LH
is undergirded by a lhirly-year era of gel lough
oIicies lhal have bred high rales of recidivism, a
focus on unishing Iawbreaking ralher lhan allending
lo lhe harm exerienced by crime viclims, and
ever-increasing exendilures lhal exceed amounls senl on
educalion and heaIlh in some slales` budgels.
Under lhe currenl syslem, over 6., miIIion aduIls or 3.1
ercenl of lhe aduIl ouIalion is behind bars, on robalion,
or on aroIe. Research shows lhal incarceralioninslead
of curbing crimemakes nonvioIenl offenders inlo vioIenl
criminaIs and is a revoIving door in and oul of rison. Yel we
conlinue lo send over $2 biIIion a year on correclions. The
overuse of rison and exlended robalion casls a Iong shadow
lhal devaslales famiIies and communilies lhroughoul lhe
counlry. Ior examIe, African American men are imrisoned
al six limes lhe rale for whiles. This disroorlionaIily severs
offenders from lheir chiIdren, who become lhe hidden or
forgollen viclims of crime loday and are loo oflen lhe newIy
incarceraled lomorrow. Our criminaI juslice syslem aIso
burdens many ex-offenders wilh a feIony record, which robs
lhem of emIoymenl and Ieads many inlo homeIessness,
vagrancy, and fulure criminaI behavior, in addilion lo robbing
lhe slale of ossibIe income lax revenues.
This is an oul-of-conlroI syslem lhal is fed, ominousIy, by
sludenls who are referred lo aIlernalive educalion rograms.
In Texas aIone, lhe 1uu,uuu sludenls referred lo such
rograms annuaIIy are ve limes more IikeIy lo dro oul lhan
lheir eers in mainslream schooIs, making lhem robabIe
candidales for lhe schooI lo rison ieIine. RoughIy 8u
ercenl of rison inmales never nished high schooI.
As a sociely, we are in deserale need of a differenl aroach
lo lhe robIems crealed by crime and sociaI injuslicean
aroach lhal uls energy inlo lhe fulure, nol lhe asl, an
aroach lhal begins wilh who has been hurl and whal lheir
needs may be, and nishes wilh giving wrongdoers a way back
inslead of guaranleeing lhem a Iifelime of hardshi.
What Restorative Justice OIIers
RLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL Is n rns1-onowIo s1n1L, n1IonL,
and inlernalionaI sociaI movemenl and sel of raclices lhal aim
lo redirecl sociely`s relribulive resonse lo crime. Resloralive
Resloralive Juslice.
Some Iacls
and Hislory
by MariIyn Armour
Mo:ilu A:uou:, Ph.D., oi:ccts thc Iustitutc fo: Bcsto:otiuc Justicc ouo Bcsto:otiuc Diologuc ot thc Uuiuc:sit of Tcaos ot Austiu, School of
Sociol Wo:k, ouo is cooutho: uith Mo:k Uub:cit of Resloralive Juslice DiaIogue. An EssenliaI Guide for Research and Praclice (2u1u).
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Thc uuubc: of colc iuco:cc:otco, ou
o:olc, ouo ou :obotiou iu thc Uuitco
Stotcs :oughl cquols thc oulotious of
Los Augclcs, Chicogo, ouo ostou coubiuco.
Auo thcu thc:c's thot cat:olcgol :isou ot
Guoutuouo.
juslice views crime nol as a deersonaIized breaking of lhe Iaw
bul as a wrong againsl anolher erson. Il allends lo lhe broken
reIalionshis belween lhree Iayers. lhe offender, lhe viclim,
and lhe communily. AccordingIy, resloralive juslice seeks lo
eIevale lhe roIe of crime viclims and communily members;
hoId offenders direclIy accounlabIe lo lhe eoIe lhey have
harmed; and reslore, lo lhe exlenl ossibIe, lhe emolionaI and
maleriaI Iosses of viclims by roviding a range of oorlunilies
for diaIogue, negolialion, and robIem soIving. Moreover il
views criminaI acls more comrehensiveIy lhan our judiciaI
syslem because il recognizes how offenders harm viclims,
communilies, and even lhemseIves by lheir aclions.
The uIlimale aim of resloralive juslice is one of heaIing. If
survivors of crimes receive aroriale emolionaI and maleriaI
rearalion, lhe harm can be redressed; by seeking lo reair
lhe damage caused, lhe offender can be reconciIed wilh lhe
viclim and reinlegraled back inlo his or her sociaI and famiIiaI
nelworks; and lhrough such reconciIialion and reinlegralion,
communily harmony has a chance lo be reslored. This manner
of heaIing gives lhe acluaI viclims and lhe communily, as weII
as lhe offenders, lhe oorlunily lo lake an aclive arl in lhe
juslice rocess inslead of a lradilionaIIy assive roIe.
History and Deve|opment oI the
Restorative Justice Movement
RLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL Is n vouo rILLu 1nn1 LHLnoLu
during lhe 1,us as aIlernalive aroaches lo lhe courl
rocess, such as aIlernalive disule resoIulion, were becoming
a nalionaI lrend. Il emerged aIongside lhe viclims` righls
movemenl, which argued for grealer invoIvemenl of crime
viclims in lhe criminaI juslice rocess, as weII as for lhe use of
reslilulion as comensalion for Iosses. AIlhough many of lhe
vaIues, rinciIes, and raclices of resloralive juslice hearken
back lo indigenous cuIlures, a 1,4 case in Kilchener, Onlario,
is considered lhe beginning oinl of loday`s resloralive
juslice movemenl. This Kilchener exerimenl required lwo
leenagers lo meel wilh and ay reslilulion lo every one of lhe
lwenly-lwo eoIe whose roerly lhey had vandaIized.
Irom lhe Iale 1,us lo lhe earIy 18us, a number of
exerimenlaI rograms, modeIed afler lhe Kilchener rogram,
were inilialed in severaI jurisdiclions in Norlh America and
Euroe. These inilialives, however, remained smaII in size
and number, having IillIe imacl on lhe Iarger syslem. In
14, resloralive juslice look a gianl sle loward becoming
mainslream when lhe American Bar Associalion endorsed
viclim-offender medialion, a rogram usuaIIy associaled
wilh firsl-lime offenders and minor crimes. AddilionaI
suorl came from lhe NalionaI
Organizalion for Viclim Assislance,
which ubIished a monograh
enlilIed Bcsto:otiuc Couuuuit
Justicc: A Coll to Actiou, and from
lhe Uniled Nalions, lhe CounciI of
Euroe, and lhe Euroean Union,
aII of which have commilled lo romole resloralive raclices.
Today, lhirly slales eilher have resloralive juslice rinciIes
in lheir mission slalemenls and oIicy Ians or IegisIalion
romoling a more baIanced and resloralive juveniIe juslice
syslem. This inslilulionaIizalion is furlher bullressed by
lhe American Bar Associalion, which began offering granls
in 2uu8 lo deveIo resloralive juslice inilialives in criminaI
Iaw sellings.
Core Restorative Justice Practices
TnL Hos1 wIuLLv usLu nvvnoncnLs I nLs1onn1IvL
juslice are viclim-offender medialion, famiIy grou
conferencing, circIes, and viclim-offender diaIogue. AII ul
viclims and offenders in direcl diaIogue, nearIy aIways face-
lo-face, aboul a secic offense or infraclion. They aIso have
in common lhe resence of al Ieasl one more erson who
serves as lhe faciIilalor, and lhey usuaIIy invoIve advance
rearalion of lhe arlies so lhey wiII know whal lo execl.
The focus of lhe encounler mosl frequenlIy invoIves naming
whal haened, idenlifying ils imacl, and coming lo some
common underslanding, oflen incIuding reaching agreemenl
as lo how any resuIlanl harm wiII be reaired. These raclices
are aIso used in non-criminaI juslice sellings such as schooIs
or neighborhoods.
Viclim-offender medialion is lhe oIdesl raclice and is
lyicaIIy used wilh viclims and offenders of roerly crimes
and minor assauIls. Parlicianls incIude lhe viclim, offender,
and faciIilalor. The face-lo-face meeling is cenlraIIy focused
on lhe viclim and lhe offender, accomanied by a smaII
number of suorl ersons (such as arenls or friends).
IamiIy grou conferencing originaled in New ZeaIand as a
means of diverling young offenders from formaI adjudicalion.
Il roulineIy invoIves suorl ersons for bolh viclims
and offenders, as weII as addilionaI arlicianls from lhe
communily. This aroach emhasizes suorling offenders
in laking resonsibiIily for lheir aclions and in changing lheir
behaviors. Thus, lhe invoIvemenl of lhe offender`s famiIy
and olher suorl ersons is crilicaI lo lhis aroach; lhe
offender`s communily of care heIs buiId underslanding and
rovides lhe oorlunily for lhe offender lo shifl back from
lhe roIe of offender lo lhal of communily member.
CircIes are variousIy caIIed eacemaking circIes, reair of
harm circIes, and senlencing circIes. The numbers and lyes
of arlicianls are simiIar lo lhose galhered for conferencing
bul incIude wider communily member arlicialion, eilher
as inleresled ersons, reresenlalives of lhe criminaI juslice
syslem, or as addilionaI circIe keeers or faciIilalors. CircIes
are more focused on lhe harm done lo lhe communily lhan
lhe olher aroaches. CircIes aIso serve lo buiId communily.
CircIes fealure shared Ieadershi and consensus-based
decision making as core lo lhe funclioning of lhe grou and
lhe deveIomenl of lhe grou`s rocess.
Viclim-offender diaIogue is an oulgrowlh of viclim-offender
medialion. Il is used in crimes of severe (coutiuuco ou ogc +)
A42><<4=343A4B>DA24B
resierailvejusilce.erg
llrp.edu
emu.edu/cjp/resierailve-jusilce
cehd.umn.edu/ssw/rjp
lrjrd.erg
WI NT E R 2 UI 2 WWW. T I KKUN. ORC T I KKUN 2,
K
Ls1onn1IvL 1us1IcL Is n HovLHL1 wI1n
lraclion. PeoIe are exciled by il. They are
voIunleering in growing numbers lo make il
haen. Some eoIe are even gelling aid
lo do il, eseciaIIy in schooIs, and usuaIIy
lhrough nonrofils Iike Resloralive Juslice for OakIand
Youlh, Communily Works, and lhe Insighl Prison Projecl (aII
discussed in lhis issue). MariIyn Armour`s arlicIe (age 2)
sums u lhe rogress so far.
Ils raclilioners say lhe movemenl`s innovalive raclices
have immediale benels and radicaI Iong-lerm olenliaI.
There is hoe, rsl, lhal il wiII kee young eoIe and ese-
ciaIIy young eoIe of coIor oul of lhe criminaI juslice syslem,
oul of lhe schooI-lo-rison ieIine. Once lhal is weII under
way, many beIieve lhal olher visions wiII aear ossibIe, aII
lhe way lo lhe end of risons as we know lhem and a reconce-
lion of lhe enlire IegaI syslem (see Peler GabeI`s iece on age
18). Many hoe lhis movemenl can aIso rovide new ways of
resonding bolh lo conicls in generaI (Kay Pranis, age 33)
and lo lhe inheriled oressive slruclures of race and cIass (see
Iania Davis`s iece on age 3u, Denise Brelon`s on age 4).
Resloralive juslice may be oised for a breaklhrough inlo
ubIic awareness. Il wouId be a boon for budgel-culling
oIilicians and laxayers if onIy lhe ubIic couId buy inlo il.
Ior examIe, in lhe San Irancisco Bay Area il cosls around
$u,uuu lo run a juveniIe offender lhrough lhe juslice syslem,
nol counling lhe cosl of incarceralion if lhere is lo be any, ver-
sus aboul $4,uu for a resloralive rocess lhal lyicaIIy Ieaves
lhe viclim much more salised, lhe young erson reinlegraled
inlo lhe communily uithout cucu bciug cho:gco uith o c:iuc
and much Iess IikeIy lo reoffend, and many communily mem-
bers reIieved and gralefuI. MuIliIy lhe criminaI juslice cosl
many limes for aduIls Iocked away for years.
Bul lhe rub is, unishmenl is nowhere seen in lhis ro-
cessunIess, when you have harmed someone, you consider
Iislening lo lhem exress lheir ain lo be unishmenl, ralher
lhan a chance lo deveIo emalhy for lhem, see yourseIf in a
differenl Iighl, and Iearn and change in whalever way you now
erceive is needed. Some consider lhal rocess lougher even
lhan receiving unishmenl. Olhers lhink il`s being sofl on
crime.
Can a juslice movemenl nol based on unishmenl grow fasl
enough lo win al lhe baIIol box, even in an ber-IiberaI cily? In
Selember lhe Ncu Yo:k Tiucs noled lhal Resloralive jus-
lice has Iong had roonenls in some corners of lhe criminaI
juslice syslem, bul il is now gaining rominence in an unIikeIy
forum. lhe San Irancisco dislricl allorney`s race. We go lo
ress loo soon lo know lhe resuIl.
Conlroversies
Around Resloralive Juslice
by David BeIden
Douio clocu, D.Phil (Oafo:o), hos bccu o :cligious uo:kc:, oguostic couutc:cultu:ol collcctiuist, uouclist, co:cutc:, collcgc tcochc:, busiucss u:itc:, ouo
uouogiug coito: of Tikkun (uutil this A:il). Hc is cu::cutl u:itiug obout ouo stuoiug :csto:otiuc justicc.
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Or wiII resloralive juslice aeaI more lo smaII-governmenl
and lradilionaI-vaIues conservalives? Some of ils eIemenls do
aeaI lo lhe Righl, olhers lo reformisl IiberaIs, olhers lo radi-
caIs, incIuding rison aboIilionisls. Of course, lhere are aIso
eIemenls lhal each of lhese Iayers may disIike or hale. And no
one wiII resisl il more lhan lhe rison-induslriaI comIex and
lhe oIilicians in ils ockels.
How il is resenled by lhe media wiII be crilicaI, bul erhas
nol decisive. il is how weII il works in raclice, in lhose Iaces
innovalive enough lo fund il, lhal wiII IikeIy be decisive.
How We Ta|k about Controversies
Mos1 nn1IcLLs I 1nIs IssuL coHL rnoH vnoonLssIvL nu
radicaI aclivisls, schoIars, Iawyers, and leachers who are wril-
ing whoIIy from wilhin lhe resloralive juslice movemenl. We
are cenlering lheir voices because il is lhey who have bolh lhe
slrongesl hoe for lhe lransformalive ower of lhe movemenl
and lhe mosl raclicaI underslanding of how lhe vision of re-
sloralive juslice can lake shae on lhe ground.
WhiIe mosl resloralive juslice raclilioners iniliaIIy seem
lo resenl a unified fronl, lhere are cerlainIy differences
among lhem if you Iislen more cIoseIy. Some aulhors in lhis
issue raise conlroversiaI issues wilhin lhe movemenl direclIy,
olhers by inference onIy. If lhey crilicize anyone, nolice how
genlIy lhey do so. The movemenl has onIy gol where il has by
ils raclilioners` commilmenl lo reach oul lo lhe humanily in
lhe olher, lo Iislen, lo suggesl and nol lo judge. A Soulh Asian
Buddhisl goes lo a conservalive IIorida lown lo suorl while
Chrislians in deveIoing a groundbreaking resloralive a-
roach lo Iea bargaining in a murder case (age 22). A survi-
vor of chiId abuse works wilh risoners in San Quenlin rison,
mosl of lhem serving Iife senlences for vioIenl crimes (age
3). These raclilioners couId nol do lheir groundbreaking
work if lhey aIIowed eilher Iefl-wing or righl-wing slereolyes
of roseculors, conservalive Chrislians, or Iifers lo cIoud lheir
vision. Thal doesn`l mean lhal resloralive raclilioners are
bIind lo lhe reaIilies of ower and while suremacy, lhe Iega-
cies of genocide and sIavery, lhe deredalions of roleers,
or lhe vioIence inherenl in lhe slruclure of our rison syslem.
Bul lheir whoIe raclice is lo reach across any divide and con-
necl, emalhicaIIy.
I am wriling lhis arlicIe from a sIighlIy differenl Iace, as
a kind of symalhelic carlograher of lhe movemenl. I have
feIl drawn lo resloralive juslice since firsl wriling aboul il
in Tikkuu (Selember]Oclober 2uu) and have slarled lo
allend lrainings in lhe eId. So wilh one fool Ianled inside
lhe resloralive juslice movemenl as a sludenl and lhe olher
in more journaIislic lerrilory, I am hoing lo offer a differenl
erseclive. a beginner`s bird`s-eye gIance al some of lhe con-
lroversiaI issues bolh oulside and wilhin lhe movemenl, and
al faclors lhal may be enabIing il lo galher lraclion. I am of-
fering lhis anaIysis nol in a siril of divisiveness bul wilh lhe
genuine hoe lhal il wiII heI readers who have never heard
of lhe resloralive juslice movemenl lo gras lhe diversily of
worIdviews wilhin il and undersland where oosilion and
suorl are IikeIy lo arise. Il is imorlanl for lhose wilhin lhe
movemenl lo undersland ways in which resloralive juslice is
seen by individuaIs and grous from differenl Iaces on lhe
oIilicaI seclrum, from conservalive lo moderale, and IiberaI
lo radicaI.
Conservative Reactions
to Restorative Justice
OcL nLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL nLcoHLs n wLLL-xow voLIcv
olion, I assume lhal smaII-governmenl conservalives wiII
weIcome lhe budgel savings and lax reIief, rovided lhey can
be convinced lhal diversions from rison are nol dangerous
lo sociely. The remarkabIe exerience of New ZeaIand, which
for over lwenly years has run ils enlire juveniIe juslice syslem
on resloralive rinciIes, and has cIosed ils juveniIe delenlion
cenlers, shouId reassure lhem. As lhis exerience is nol weII
known in lhe Uniled Slales, we are deIighled lo share an
exceIIenl survey of il by one ils Ieading roonenls, Judge
Ired McEIrea, as an onIine-onIy arlicIe accomanying lhis
rinl issue.
=>C9DBC8;;DBCA0C8>=B) Jhe palnilngs en pages 2U, 25, 2I, 29, and 43 ceme lrem Jhe kneiied Llne, a parilclpaier], lniernei-based prejeci lnvesilgailng ihe hlsier] and luiure
el lncarcerailen and lis re|ailenshlp ie educailen and |aber ln ihe unlied 8iaies lrem l495-2U25. Jhe kneiied Llne weaves iegeiher a d]namlc, narrailve palnilng el ever seveni]-
ve hlsierlca| memenis. |is eve|vlng en|lne lnierlace wl|| a|se enab|e vlsliers ie |earn and add ie ihe hlsier], as we|| as share ihelr persena| experlences re|aied ie lncarcerailen.
when cemp|eied ln ihe sprlng el 2Ul2, Jhe kneiied Llne wl|| a|se lnc|ude a beek verslen and lree currlcu|a ler hlgh schee| c|asses and cemmunli] erganlzailens. A|| el ihe palnilngs
are creaied b] Lvan 8lsse||. |er mere lnlermailen en ihe arilsi er prejeci, vlsli www.evanblsse||.cem er www.ihekneiied|lne.us.
Thc :csto:otiuc justicc lo Man.AIive. Slories from lhe Edge of
Incarceralion lo lhe IIighl of Imaginalion, fcotu:iug th:cc fo:uc:l
iuco:cc:otco iuoiuiouols iucluoiug Iuou Co:ooo (:ight) ouo Bcggic
Douicls (ccutc:), os ucll os couuuuit o:tist I:coo Gutic::c: (lcft), uos
c:fo:uco uiocl iu thc Sou I:oucisco o A:co iu 2u1u. It uos :ooucco
collobo:otiucl b thc uou:oft Couuuuit Wo:ks, thc Uuiuc:sit of Sou
I:oucisco, ouo thc Sou I:oucisco Shc:iff's Dco:tucut.
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Many sociaI conservalives, ese-
ciaIIy of a lradilionaI Chrislian benl,
aIready warm lo lhe nolion of bringing
offenders lo a oinl of remorse and
genuine accounlabiIily, and lhen lo
redemlion, a lrue change of hearl.
Chuck CoIson, one of lhe Iayers in lhe
Walergale scandaI (Iong since reformed
as a born-again Chrislian), is considered
by many lo be America`s Ieading rison
reformer as weII as one of ils Ieading
Chrislian conservalives. Excorialing
overcrowding and inhuman condilions,
CoIson signs on lo a failh-based slrand
of resloralive juslice.
However, lhe cenlraIily of reIigious
conversion lo CoIson` s version of
resloralive juslice resenls a concern
for lhe mainslream movemenl. Iurlher,
conservalive hiIosohy lyicaIIy
bIames lhe individuaI`s sinfuI human
nalure ralher lhan environmenlaI
faclors in generaling crime. Mainslream
resloralive juslice oerales from a
differenl modeI. Il is based neilher on a medicaI modeI of lhe
alhoIogy of lhe offender, nor on a Chrislian modeI of lhe
offender`s sinfuI nalure and deendence on a Higher Power.
Inslead, a modeI of mainslream resloralive juslice is more
IikeIy lo incIude concels such as muluaIily, resecl, aclive
Iislening, emalhy for ourseIves and lhose we have harmed or
been harmed by, a focus on seIf-emowermenl and allendance
lo lhe deeer needs of lhose invoIved, and lhe queslioning
and unIearning of revaiIing unilive beIief syslems. Ior
inslance, lhe behavioraI changes noled in vioIenl men lhrough
mainslream resloralive raclices lyicaIIy resuIl from lheir
coming lo undersland how lhey deveIoed slralegies lo
survive chiId abuse, overly, racism, oIice brulaIily, or olher
environmenlaI slresses and boughl inlo lhe revaiIing maIe
roIe beIief syslem; from lhis underslanding, as weII as from lhe
care of eers and faciIilalors, ows emalhy for lheir younger
seIves and lhen for lheir viclims. The hoe of many resloralive
juslice raclilioners is lhal such lransformed men (and women)
wiII become arlicianls in reforming lhe sociaI condilions
and inequilies lhal so reslricled lheir olions, in addilion lo
raclicing emolionaI malurily in lheir daiIy reIalionshis.
Many Chrislians nd lhis deveIomenl of emalhy and sociaI
resonsibiIily enlireIy comalibIe wilh Chrislianily, whelher
il invoIves Chrislian beIief or nol, bul lhis is nol lhe lyicaI
Chrislian conservalive view. However, lo an observer Iike me,
bolh CoIsonesque and mainslream resloralive juslice seem lo
have much in commonbolh beIieve in lhe individuaI`s abiIily
lo change. As more vioIenl offenders lransform lhemseIves
lhrough bolh alhs and meel and laIk, I assume lhere wiII be
cross-ferliIizalion.
SliII, many conservalives who do beIieve
in redemlion see il as enlireIy comalibIe
wilh unishmenl. Anyone harmed by
crime is IikeIy lo feeI coIossaI anger and so
lradilionaI nolions of an eye for an eye
wiII aIways have greal aeaI, eseciaIIy
if no mechanisms exisl for salisfying lhe
viclim`s needs for emalhy, answers, or
resloralion. If resloralive olions slarl
lo diverl Iarge numbers from rison,
conservalive inveslors in lhe rison-
induslriaI comIex wiII sureIy mobiIize lo
rolecl lheir inveslmenl. They are IikeIy
lo fund emolive aeaIs for unishmenl,
many of lhem in lradilionaI (and seIeclive)
bibIicaI lerms, and ossibIy wilh racisl
overlones.
The essence of mainslream reslora-
live juslice is a raclice of Iislening
and emalhy lhal is by nalure corrosive
of ideoIogy and seIf-righleousness.
Thus, combining lhorough ersonaI
accounlabiIily wilh an uuoc:stouoiug
of thc uos ouc' s cuui:ouucut hos
uoloco ouc is a comIex lask, nol easiIy assimiIaled inlo some
conservalives` worIdview. Bul lhal may change.
Midd|e America's Reactions to
Restorative Justice
O nnLncL, I nssuHL 1nn1 Hos1 nnnuconL cosLnvn1IvLs
wiII nol go for mainslream resloralive juslice. However,
many middIe-of-lhe-road eoIe, incIuding many evangeIicaI
Chrislians, may weII suorl il when lhey see how weII il works
for crime viclims lhey know and for any of lheir own reIalives
and friends who are arresled for offenses. In a recenl case il was
remarkabIe how quickIy some oIice famiIies came around lo
wanling a resloralive juslice olion when one of lheir own kids
was caughl in a ossibIe offense. If arovaI grows in middIe
America, il wiII mainIy be because of osilive ersonaI exeri-
ences lhal wiII conlradicl lhe media slereolyes and oIemics
aroving unilive juslice.
Libera| Reactions to Restorative Justice
TnL nvvLnL ron LInLnnLs Hnv nL onvIous: 1nxL nL11Ln
care of viclims; draslicaIIy reduce lhe rison syslem; send
lhe money on educalion and ubIic aid inslead; rejecl ugIy
emolions of revenge; and reinlegrale offenders inlo lhe com-
munily where lhey can Iead roduclive Iives and ay laxes.
Bul whal wouId IiberaIs make of Peler GabeI`s vision of an
aslonishingIy differenl kind of IegaI syslem? Some mighl feeI
lhal`s going loo far. Thal`s lo admil lhal fear of lhe olher has
been cenlraI lo lhe IiberaI rojecl aII aIong. Thal`s lo aIIow
lhal lhe vaunled ralionaIily of IiberaIism never has been free
of emolion, bul has loo oflen been ul lo
(coutiuuco ou ogc )
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=
n. Mnn1I Lu1nLn KIo Jn. uLrLs 1us1IcL
as Iove correcling lhal which revoIls againsl
Iove.
Dr. King made lhis visionary and audacious
decIaralion al lhe firsl mass meeling of lhe
Monlgomery Imrovemenl Associalion al lhe
HoIl Slreel Balisl Church on December , 1,
jusl days afler lhe arresl of Rosa Parks. Il was lhe
meeling where Rev. RaIh Abernalhy ul forward
lhe resoIulion lo iniliale lhe Monlgomery bus
boycoll. The church was Iocaled in a bIack working-
cIass seclion of lhe cily. Bolh lhe sancluary and lhe
basemenl audilorium were IIed, and an overow
crowd oulside Iislened via Ioudseakers. Many
reorlers, holograhers, leIevision crews, and
bIack Ieaders were resenl. The meeling oened
wilh lwo hymns, Onward Chrislian SoIdiers and
Leaning on lhe EverIasling Arms.
King lhen deIivered an address lhal incIuded
lhis definilion of juslice as Iove correcling lhal
which revoIls againsl Iove. He Ialer recaIIed his
lhoughls before lhe address.
How couId I make a seech lhal wouId be miIi-
lanl enough lo kee my eoIe aroused lo osi-
live aclion and yel moderale enough lo kee lhis fervor
wilhin conlroIIabIe and Chrislian bounds? I knew lhal
many of lhe Negro eoIe were viclims of billerness lhal
couId easiIy rise lo ood roorlions. Whal couId I say lo
kee lhem courageous and reared for osilive aclion
and yel devoid of hale and resenlmenl? CouId lhe miIi-
lanl and lhe moderale be combined in a singIe seech?
Is Dr. King`s denilion of juslice conlexl-bound? Or is il a
universaI denilion of juslice lhal wilhslands lhe lesl of lime?
Is il reIevanl loday, or is il bound by lhe arlicuIars of Iace
and circumslance?
Al rsl bIush, on a ersonaI IeveI, lhis denilion of juslice
bears no resembIance lo lhe juslice I ursued in my Iifelime as
an aclivisl and civiI righls Iawyer. Love seems lo have had IillIe
lo do wilh my warrior-aclivisl ursuils, whelher as a miIilanl
bIack sludenl fighling againsl racism and in suorl of lhe
BIack Panlhers in lhe 16us, or as a sociaIisl ghling lhe eviIs
of cailaIism, or as a bIack woman ghling lo save my sisler
AngeIa Davis from a IegaI Iynching based uon
fabricaled charges of murder and consiracy lo
murder a Marin Counly judge in lhe 1,us.
We were al war. Our reIenlIess ursuil of so-
ciaI, raciaI, and economic juslice in lhose days
had nolhing lo do wilh Iove. Il was us versus
lhem. Or so il seemed.
And lhis conlinued lhrough lhe 18us afler I
became a civiI righls Iawyer ghling aII-oul civiI
righls wars in lhe courlroom againsl emIoyers
and on behaIf of cIienls who were viclims of
emIoymenl discriminalion.
Whal does Iove have lo do wilh lhe hyermas-
cuIinisl, hyerralionaI, aggressive, warrior-Iike
ersonaI quaIilies I was comeIIed lo cuIlivale in
order lo be successfuI in lhese ursuils?
The New Jim Crow
MovIo 1o 1nL vnLsL1 unv, 1nIs uLrII-
lion of juslice as Iove correcling lhal which
revoIls againsl Iove aears lo have IillIe lo do wilh our exisl-
ing horric and relribulive aradigm of criminaI juslice. Il has
IillIe lo do wilh our raidIy exandingor more arorialeIy,
melaslasizingrison induslriaI comIex, which has lraed
lhe Iargesl number of risoners in lhe hislory of humanily. Il
has IillIe lo do wilh lhe dealh enaIly or wilh lhe recenl execu-
lion of Troy Davis. Nor, for lhal maller, wilh lhe execulion of
Lawrence RusseII Brewer, a while man execuled in Texas on
lhe same day as Troy Davis, for lhe hale crime of dragging lo
dealh a bIack man, James Byrd, lhirleen years ago.
Il has IillIe lo do wilh lhe aaIIingIy raciaIized juslice
described by civiI righls advocale and Iiligalor MicheIIe
AIexander in Thc Ncu Jiu C:ou: Moss Iuco:cc:otiou iu thc
Agc of Colo:bliuoucss. She leIIs us lhal loday, more African
Whal`s Love
Gol lo Do wilh Il?
by Iania E. Davis
Iouio E. Douis is co-fouuoc: ouo caccutiuc oi:ccto: of Bcsto:otiuc Justicc fo: Ooklouo Youth (BJOY).
Io: thc :csto:otiuc justicc
uoucucut to g:ou st:oug,
it uust :ccoll its ost, likc
thc Soukofo bi:o.
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Americans are incarceraled, or on robalion or aroIe, lhan
were ensIaved before lhe CiviI War began. And lhal, as of
2uu4, more African American men were disenfranchised
(due lo feIon disenfranchisemenl Iaws) lhan in 18,u, lhe year
lhe Iifleenlh Amendmenl was ralified, guaranleeing bIack
maIes lhe righl lo vole. A bIack chiId born loday is Iess IikeIy
lo be raised by bolh arenls lhan a bIack chiId born during
sIavery. And AIexander leaches lhal lhe recenl disinlegralion
of African American famiIies and communilies is due in Iarge
arl lo lhe mass imrisonmenl of bIack arenls and lheir
chiIdren and lhe conslanl cycIing from lheir communilies lo
risons and back again.
Iurlher, a Iarge majorily of African American men in some
urban areas have been IabeIed feIons for Iife (nearIy 8u er-
cenl in lhe Chicago area) and are arl of a growing undercasle
ermanenlIy reIegaled by Iaw lo a second-cIass slalus. They
can be denied lhe righl lo vole, aulomalicaIIy excIuded from
juries, and IegaIIy discriminaled againsl in emIoymenl, hous-
ing, access lo educalion, and ubIic benefils, much as lheir
grandarenls and greal-grandarenls were during lhe Jim
Crow era.
Whal does Iove have lo do wilh lhis searing and hearlrend-
ing iclure of lhe juslice we know loday?
A LoIty but Utopian Vision?
AnL wL 1nL 1o cocLuuL 1nn1 Dn. KIo`s uLrII1Io
of juslice as Iove correcling lhal which revoIls againsl Iove is a
Iofly bul ehemeraI and uloian vision, bearing IillIe reIalion-
shi lo lhe way lhings are? A lime-bound denilion lhal is nol
lrue for us loday?
Addressing lhis firsl on a ersonaI IeveI, aboul fifleen
years ago, I reached a oinl in my Iife as warrior-Iawyer-
aclivisl when I became so burnl oul and slarved for siriluaI
suslenance lhal, lhrough a series of synchronislic evenls, I
ended u shulling down my Iaw ofce and lhen found myseIf
arenlicing lo a Soulh African lradilionaI heaIer. InluiliveIy,
I reaIized I was oul of baIance and needed an infusion of more
feminine, heaIing, and siriluaI energies in my Iife lo re-
equiIibrale. Thus I imagined I wouId never relurn lo lhe Iaw
and lo lhe hyerralionaI, hyermascuIinisl, beIIicose quaIilies
I was required lo cuIlivale as a lriaI Iawyer.
Bul afler receiving my Ph.D. in African Indigenous sludies,
I slarled raclicing Iaw again by defauIl because I couId nol
nd any way lo do lhis heaIing work on a remuneralive basis.
However, wilh lhe exeriences in Africa, I was beginning lo
sense lhal Iaw and siriluaIily, and juslice and Iove, are nol
lhe oIar, irreconciIabIe oosiles I once conceived lhem lo
Thc Hcoliug Wolls :ojcct b:ought togcthc: ucu iu o Pcuusluouio stotc :isou, thci: louco oucs, c:iuc su:uiuo:s, ouo uictius' oouocotcs
to calo:c thc coulicotco jou:uc of ocoliug uith thc oftc:uoth of uiolcucc. HeaIing WaIIs. Inmales` Journey (ou this Tikkun issuc's couc:)
ocols uith fccliugs of :cuo:sc ouo otoucucut fo: c:iucs couuittco. HeaIing WaIIs. Viclims` Journey (obouc) focuscs ou thc obscucc of louco
oucs ouo chougcs iu iocutit thot su:uiuo:s of c:iucs cac:icucc. Thc coulca ouo ot tiucs oiffcult oiologuc thot cuoluco iu thc :occss uos
cotu:co iu ou iuoccuocut uouic, Concrele, SleeI, and Painl.
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be. I couId be a Iawyer ouo a heaIera heaIer of lhe sociaI
body.
Dr. King`s definilion of juslice acluaIIy foresaw and
rohesied lhis shifl in my ersonaI journey. Bul lhe shifl
lhal Dr. King foreloId is nol al aII Iimiled lo my own slory of
lransformalion; il is lhe slory of lhe evoIulion of juslice ilseIf.
In lhe Iasl lhree-and-a-haIf decades, a new aradigm of
juslice has emerged on lhe hisloricaI slagea juslice lhal
seeks nol lo unish, bul lo heaI. A juslice lhal is nol aboul
gelling even, bul aboul gelling weII. A juslice lhal seeks lo
lransform broken Iives, reIalionshis, and communilies ralher
lhan damage lhem furlher. A juslice lhal seeks reconciIialion
ralher lhan a deeening of conicl. A juslice lhal seeks lo make
righl lhe wrong ralher lhan adding lo lhe originaI wrong. A
heaIing juslice ralher lhan unishing juslice. A resloralive
juslice ralher lhan relribulive juslice. This new bul ancienl
juslice is none olher lhan Iove correcling lhal which revoIls
againsl Iove.
Nol Iong afler I re-enlered lhe raclice of Iaw afler
relurning from Africa, I Iearned aboul resloralive juslice from
Ronnie EarIe, former Dislricl Allorney for Travis Counly
(Auslin) Texas, al a relreal wilh Peler GabeI and lhe Projecl
on Inlegraling SiriluaIily, Law, and PoIilics. Lislening lo
Ronnie rovoked an eihany and marked a cIimax in my
own years-Iong movemenl loward whoIeness, inlegraling lhe
warrior, heaIer, and Iawyer wilhin me. Now I couId be aII lhese
lhings al once. This Ied me lo co-creale Resloralive Juslice for
OakIand Youlh in 2uu. Our mission is lo romole a cuIluraI
shifl from unilive resonses lo youlhfuI wrongdoing lhal add
lo harm lo resloralive resonses lhal heaI and reair il.
Restorative Justice's Promise
As 1nL Ln1L cuL1unnL nIs1onIn TnoHns BLnnv o1Lu,
if we are lo move inlo a viabIe fulure, we musl re-invenl whal
il means lo be human. Thal is our hisloricaI imeralive.
UIlimaleIy, I lhink resloralive juslice can heI midwife a
new evoIulionary shifl of lhe secies inlo whal Berry caIIs
lhe Ecozoic Era. an era in which humans wiII no Ionger
be enlranced wilh ways of being and lhinking lhal creale
dominalion, discord, and devaslalion, bul wiII be resenl uon
lhe earlh in muluaIIy enhancing waysways lhal bring aboul
heaIing and whoIeness and hoIiness wilh one anolher and wilh
aII of crealion. My dream is lhal resloralive juslice mighl heI
move us from an elhic of searalion, dominalion, and exlreme
individuaIism lo an elhic of coIIaboralion, arlnershi, and
inlerreIaledness. In lhis sense, I wouId say lhis movemenl is
more subversive lhan any of lhe revoIulionary movemenls in
which I have been invoIved since lhe 1us. AII revious sociaI
juslice movemenls have kel us lraed in discordanl, binary,
eilher-or, righl-wrong, and us-versus-lhem ways of being
resenl lo one anolher and lo lhe earlh.
On lhe civiI righls Iane, resloralive juslice aIso has
remarkabIe olenliaI lo ush back lhe New Jim Crow of
mass incarceralion which, due in no smaII arl lo MicheIIe
AIexander`s ground-breaking work, is increasingIy being
recognized as lhe major human righls chaIIenge of our era.
PitIa||s
HnvIo uoL 1nIs wonx ow ron sLvLnnL vLnns,
however, I have observed lhal we are generaIIy erceived
asand loo oflen behave asa while movemenl. This is an
enormous chaIIenge, raising grave queslions as il does aboul
our fulure as a movemenl and aboul our abiIily lo fuIfiII ils
exlraordinary romise. We cIearIy have whal il lakes on
lechnicaI IeveIs lo offer effeclive and heaIing aIlernalives lo
raciaIized mass incarceralion. The queslion is whelher our
movemenl has lhe wiII lo meel lhis hisloric chaIIenge.
If you googIe resloralive juslice and race you wiII nd IillIe
or nolhing. There is a wonderfuI bIossoming and verilabIe
crealive exIosion of essays, books, and arlicIes wrillen
on resloralive juslice in lhe Iasl lwo-and-a-haIf decades,
bul nol even a handfuI address race, or lhe CiviI Righls
Iouio E. Douis (ot :ight) cugogcs uith stuocuts ot Bcsto:otiuc Justicc fo: Ooklouo Youth's Costlcuout Pcoccbuiloiug Acoocu, suuuc: 2u11.
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Movemenl and resloralive juslice, or mass incarceralion and
resloralive juslice, or disroorlionale minorily conlacllhe
overreresenlalion of youlh of coIor in lhe juveniIe juslice
syslemand resloralive juslice.
I beIieve we have nol Iearned from lhe hislory of lhe eace,
women`s, and environmenlaI movemenls` iniliaI faiIures lo
inlenlionaIIy engage issues of race. I beIieve we have forgol-
len our recenl hisloricaI rools. We have forgollen who we are.
Resloralive juslice is an heir nol onIy lo lhe viclim`s righls,
feminisl, medialion, rison aboIilionisl, and Mennonile
movemenls, bul il aIso has ils siriluaI rools in lhe CiviI Righls
Movemenlin nonvioIence, ahimsa, salyagraha, lrulh-leII-
ing, engaging lhe enemy wilh comassion, consislenl wilh Dr.
King`s and Mahalma Gandhi`s visions of juslice. WhiIe severaI
hisloricaI anlecedenls converged lo give rise lo lhe resloralive
juslice movemenl, lhe CiviI Righls Movemenl was a rinciaI
conlribulor, having a dening imacl on ils lhrusl and siril.
Dr. King`s definilion of juslice foreshadows resloralive
juslice. His core vision of crealing lhe beIoved communily
is cIoseIy akin lo lhe reIalionshi and
B
nLLILvL 1nn1 1nL nLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL HovLHL1
is a manifeslalion of somelhing much Iarger lhan il-
seIf. a fundamenlaI shifl in how Weslern cuIlure un-
derslands lhe nalure of our secies and lhe nalure of
lhe universe.
Assumlions aboul human nalure and lhe universe under-
Iie aII our sociaI inslilulions and aII of our reIalionshiswilh
seIf, wilh olhers, wilh lhe naluraI worId. These assumlions
shae lhe aclions we lake each day in lhe conlexl of inslilu-
lions such as our famiIies, failh communilies, neighborhoods,
workIaces, schooIs, sociaI services, and juslice syslems.
My friend Howard VogeI, who leaches al HamIine Law
SchooI, laIks aboul lhe resloralive imuIse. This lerm may
be more heIfuI lhan lhe lerm resloralive juslice. As my
work has evoIved, lhe scoe and delh of change required for
a shifl loward a resloralive imuIse in aII silualions seems
grealer and grealer. Resloralive juslice was never aboul crime
for me. Il was aIways aboul communily and how we Iive wilh
one anolher. However, I did nol undersland al lhe beginning
how much we had lo change our worIdview lo shifl how we
resond lo lhings lhal go wrong.
Il has laken years for some of lhal worIdview shifl lo see
inlo my underslandingand I am deeIy gralefuI lo Nalive
American and Iirsl Nalions leachers, eseciaIIy Mark Wedge,
HaroId Galensby, and Yako Tahnahga, as weII as Pema
Chodron from lhe Buddhisl lradilion, for oening my hearl
and mind lo olher ways of reIaling lo lhe universe. And I am
very gralefuI lo modern hysics and bioIogy for heIing me
undersland how we can inlegrale lhose siriluaI undersland-
ings wilh modern sociely.
I wanl lo nole here lhal lhe siriluaI leachings I am laIking
aboul are nol dogma. I don`l beIieve in any arlicuIar siri-
luaI lradilion. The concel of a Higher Being does nol work
for me, bul I nd a sel of core vaIues infusing mosl siriluaI
lradilions lhal are lhe same as lhe vaIues I see underIying lhe
resloralive imuIse. These are lhe vaIues lhal describe how lo
be in good reIalionshi wilh one anolher. So siriluaIily is one
The Resloralive ImuIse
by Kay Pranis
Ko P:ouis is ou iuoccuocut t:oiuc: iu :csto:otiuc justicc ouo coccuokiug ci:clcs. Shc uos fo:uc:l thc :csto:otiuc justicc louuc: fo: thc
Miuucsoto Dco:tucut of Co::cctious. Shc hos cooutho:co scuc:ol books ou ci:clcs.
(coutiuuco ou ogc 8)
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HaIf-Surrender b Kiuuo:i Suto:io. Ac:lic.
of lhe ways eoIe can reIale lo lhe resloralive imuIse and
nd molivalion lo acl on lhal imuIse. And lhere is a Iol of Iife
wisdom in many siriluaI leachings.
An imorlanl shifl in worIdview lhal couId move us loward
daiIy use of lhe resloralive imuIse is lhe shifl from seeing lhe
arls of lhe universe as dislinclIy searale lo lhe undersland-
ing lhal we are rofoundIy connecled lo every one and every
lhing in lhe universe. Thal means lhal whal haens lo any
arl of lhe universe wiII affecl meincIuding anylhing I do
lo anolher arl of lhe universe. Il aIso means we cannol dro
oul, kick oul, or gel rid of anylhing. We musl deaI wilh one
anolher and wilh our environmenl. Irom lhis worIdview gel-
ling rid of is ucuc: a soIulion because we are never reaIIy rid
of anylhingwe are aIways sliII connecled. When we lhink we
are nol connecled, we are oflen nol aying allenlion lo how
lhe conneclion is imacling us.
The anaIogy of garbage and lhe environmenlaI movemenl
heIs me undersland lhis idea. Nol lhal many decades ago,
we lhrew lhings awayIike lossing a bollIe oul lhe car win-
dowand genuineIy lhoughl we had gollen rid of il and il was
no Ionger a robIem. Il lurned oul lhal lhe Iaces lo which we
were lhrowing lhings away were oisoning our groundwaler
and our soiI. As one erson said lo me, Whal we have Iearned
is lhere is no 'away.`
Our sociaI slruclures sliII oerale as if lhere is an away.
Our soIulion lo many robIems in reIalionshis is lo gel rid
of. We lry lo gel rid of lhe difcuIl emIoyee, we exeI kids
from schooI, we send eoIe lo rison, we cul ourseIves off
from lhose wilh whom we have conicl, or we move oul of lhe
bad neighborhood. We do aII of lhis wilhoul Iooking al lhe
syslemic slruclure lhal is invoIved in lhe robIem behavior.
We lake lhese aclions wilhoul Iooking al our own arl in
lhe dysfunclion. And we relend lhal lhis soIulion does no
harm lo us. The resloralive imuIse requires us lo Iook al lhe
conlexl of lhe silualion, lo Iook al our own roIe in harmfuI
behavior, and lo recognize lhal harm lo anyone eIse is harm
lo us as weII.
The emhasis on inlerconnecledness is nol unique lo
resloralive juslice. There are counlIess olher movemenls or
inilialives for eace and nonvioIence lhal come from lhe same
hiIosohy. A conlribulion of lhe resloralive juslice movemenl
is lhal il came wilh secic rocesses lhal heI us lo lurn lhe
hiIosohy inlo aclion. And il can be aIied lo daiIy Iife, so we
gel conslanl oorlunilies lo raclice a differenl way of being
wilh one anolher when harm haens belween us. Resloralive
juslice lurns oul lo be very raclicaI as a way lo romole a
fundamenlaI shifl, even lhough il somelimes requires us lo
lurn our habils uside down.
Anolher imorlanl concel of resloralive juslice is non-
dominalion. The raclices of resloralive juslice require
an equaI voice for aII slakehoIders. If you are affecled by
a decision, you gel lo be arl of lhal decision. Decisions are
made by consensus in resloralive raclices so one inleresl
cannol simIy be run over by anolher inleresl wilh a Iarger
number of arlicianls. In a resloralive aroach, we raclice
democracy in a fundamenlaI way.
The use of resloralive raclices is currenlIy onIy on lhe
margins, bul lhe growlh is sleady, eseciaIIy in schooIs. The
vision of inlerconnecledness and non-dominalion is a very
owerfuI vision. The ower of lhal vision, combined wilh lhe
raclicaIily of resloralive raclices, has enormous olenliaI
lo move Weslern cuIlure lhrough a aradigm shifl. Weslern
science suggesls lhal inlerconnecledness and nonhierarchicaI
seIf-organizalion are lhe scienlic nalure of lhe universe. The
aradigm shifl reresenled by resloralive juslice is consislenl
wilh emerging science.
Human beings are genelicaIIy bound lo communily in some
form. We evoIved in communily. We are rogrammed geneli-
caIIy for coIIeclive survivaI ralher lhan individuaI survivaI.
We need olhers. Currenl Weslern cuIlure lhwarls lhal need
in many ways. There is a dee human yearning for connec-
lion and communily. Resloralive raclices offer a alhway for
shifling sociaI slruclures lo be more resonsive lo lhal need.
The fear of nol beIonging and lhe ain of feeIing lhal one
doesn`l beIong are al lhe rool of much vioIence and harm in
lhe worId. Living as if everyone beIongs mighl be lhe biggesl
vioIence revenlion measure we couId ever devise.Q
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Thc sigu ou thc cogc iu this oiutiug, Dee Sense of Need b
iuco:cc:otco o:tist :ou Pickcu :coos, "Io: Disosol. This oc:lic
oiutiug ouo thc o:t ou ogcs 88, 8, ouo 88 oll couc out of thc
Michigou-bosco P:isou C:cotiuc A:ts P:ojcct.
B
1us1 wn1 1o xow, Mncx vnusLu nu 1oox n
momenl lo ask whal was in his hearl, how do I Iive
wilh lhe sligma of being a murderer? Mack was on
lhe brink of lears. His face was red wilh vuInerabiIily.
Serving lwenly-ve lo Iife, lhis man in his mid lhirlies
was arlicialing in a diaIogue belween viclims and offenders
al San Quenlin Slale Prison in CaIifornia. He had jusl nished
reveaIing lhe delaiIs of his crime lhirleen years earIier and
was Iefl wilh more lrulhfuI queslions aboul lhe meaning of
his Iife.
On lhe surface, Mack had jusl laken accounlabiIily for
lhe vioIence he had commilled. Bul in lhe deeer oelry of
accounlabiIily, Mack heId lhe ieces of his Iife in his hands,
feIl each for lexlure, and Iaced lhem on lhe labIe. Then, in
lhe nakedness of lrulh, he began lhe ainfuI journey of lling
lhem logelher unliI lhe reaI iclure of his Iife unfoIded in a
circIe of len incarceraled men, lhree faciIilalors, and lhree
viclims of vioIenl crimes in lhe room.
In lhis exercise, offenders meel wilh surrogale viclims
reaI viclims, bul of harm caused by olher offenders. I was one
of lhree viclims serving a surrogale roIe. Before Mack soke, I
had jusl nished exIaining how chiIdhood sexuaI abuse had
slunled my emolionaI deveIomenl. I laIked aboul lhe years
I had senl unIearning allerns I had adoled al age six for
survivaI, and lhe grueIing rocess of Iearning new allerns in
my lwenlies and lhirlies. I loId lhe grou I sliII have lroubIe
lrusling men; lhal I sliII shove my feeIings inside and, Iike
an unlended ressure cooker, I exIode eriodicaIIy onlo lhe
cIosesl byslander, an emolionaI evenl lhal has cosl me many
meaningfuI reIalionshis.
OIIenders and Victims Ta|k
Face-to-Face
Ion Hnv, 1nL HoHL1 wnL n vIc1IH nu n orrLuLn
come logelher is a eak momenl of a resloralive rocess.
This is lhe momenl when lhe viclims exress how lhey
were harmed and whal lhey need loday and lhe offenders
lake accounlabiIily for lheir crimes. Bul whal is aII of lhe
invisibIe work lhal comes before lhis momenl? Ior me il`s a
commilmenl lo confronling negalive behaviors and slunled
emolionaI growlh lhal originaled in my chiIdhood. And for
lhe offenders whal does il lake for lhem lo lruIy arlicuIale
lheir crime and ils imacl? Whal does il mean lo make
accounlabiIily nol a buzzword bul a soIid foundalion for a Iife
alh? Can one engage in rocesses of accounlabiIily uithout
hcoliug, and shouIdn`l lhey be connecled?
True accounlabiIily can`l be faked. True accounlabiIily
requires an offender lo commil lo enlering lhose dee, dark,
scary, shul-down Iaces and alleml lo heaI. HeaIing is hard
work. There is nolhing easy aboul nding a new reIalionshi
lo unresoIved lrauma in one`s Iife. There is nolhing easy aboul
icking aarl how exaclIy one is Iocked inlo lhe emolions and
lhinking of a chiId. There is no simIe or singuIar way oul of
feeIings of shame and humiIialion from chiIdhood exeriences
of abuse or overly. And for some offenders, whal does il lake
lo confronl lhe slrucluraI oression and lhe hisloricaI Iegacy
of coIoniaIism, sIavery, immigralion, war, or genocide lhal are
Iodged in lheir bodies?
HeaIing from Harm and
UnIearning VioIence
by Sonya Shah
Souo Shoh is ou ossistout :ofcsso: ot thc Colifo:uio Iustitutc of Iutcg:ol Stuoics, o uoluutcc: focilitoto: iu thc Iictiu Offcuoc: Eoucotiou
G:ou (IOEG) ot Sou Qucutiu, ou octiuist, ouo o u:itc:.
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Perelualion b Do:ius Whitc. P:isuo Pcucil.
When offenders can see how aII of lhe ieces of lheir asl l
logelher, lhey can connecl lhe dols of lheir Iife lhal Ied u lo a
crime and exerience accounlabiIily in a deeIy embodied way.
There is a saying in lhis work. lhe onIy way oul is lhrough. Il
means lhe way lo seIf-Iiberalion, lhe way lo hoId lhe sligma of
murder, lo recIaim one`s righlfuI Iace in humanily, lo reair
reIalionshi lo communily, is lo commil lo doing lhe work
of heaIing. In resloralive juslice, we need lo embrace aII of lhe
imorlanl resloralive rocessesin arlicuIar lhe IifeIong
work of heaIing lhal viclims, offenders, and eoIe in lhe
communily need lo underlake in order lo reair.
The Process oI Un|earnin Vio|ence
A vLnn Ln1Ln, I nH n voLu1LLn rncILI1n1on I 1nL VIc1IH
Offender Educalion Grou rogram al San Quenlin, lhe
same rogram where I sal as a surrogale viclim. The rogram
was founded by RocheIIe Edwards based on lhe work of
David Doerer, and is heaviIy inuenced by lhe rinciIes of
resloralive juslice. Il is a lweIve-lo-eighleen-monlh rogram
lhal is sreading. ve cIasses are offered in San Quenlin, which
is an aII-maIe rison, and 12 men are on lhe wailing Iisl lhere.
The rogram is reaching risons in DubIin and AIameda, and
working wilh osl-reIease rograms such as Homeboys in Los
AngeIes. This is lhanks lo lhe lireIess work of Edwards and lhe
slaff of Insighl Prison Projecl, lhe nonrol lhal houses lhe
Viclim Offender Educalion Grou.
I oflen sle back and ask myseIf why rograms Iike lhe Viclim
Offender Educalion Grou or lhe ResoIve lo Slo lhe VioIence
Program in San Irancisco are successfuI. Whal makes lhese
modeIs, above olhers, work? In my hearl lhere is aIso lhe olher
queslions. The queslions lhal we as a sociely are dying lo know
because our humanily deends on il. If vioIence is Iearned
and can be unIearned, how do we know when someone has
changed? How do we know when someone is no Ionger vioIenl?
Whal is lhe evidence? How does someone lransform, exaclIy?
PeriodicaIIy I sludy lhe Iileralure on vioIence and ils
causes wilh lhe excuse of resenling il lo my undergraduale
sludenls. I review James GiIIigan`s work around shame
and humiIialion; I Iook al lhe comIex sociooIilicaI and
hisloricaI allerns of differenl genocides. Bul moslIy I ay
allenlion lo lhe men al San Quenlin. I Iislen lo whal lhey
say in lrainings, gradualions, and in my cIass; I laIk wilh my
co-faciIilalor, Jaimee KarroII; and I wrile down lhe words of
wisdom lhal lhe men al San Quenlin, Edwards, KarroII, and
olher faciIilalors say in assing. Their anecdoles are recious
evidence of lransformalion and how il occurs as a reaI rocess
of Iiberalion from vioIence.
The olher day I wenl lo an informalion session for lhe
Viclim Offender Educalion Grou. Edwards sleed u lo
lhe microhone in lhe San Quenlin CalhoIic ChaeI and
rallIed off a Iisl of evidence of lransformalion lo a room
fuII of more lhan one hundred men wailing lo gel inlo lhe
rogram. The evidence, aIlhough deIivered casuaIIy, is
leased oul of an assessmenl lhal lhe Insighl Prison Projecl is
conducling of ils rogramming and imacl. BeIow is lhe gisl
of some of Edwards`s commenls (ilaIicized), foIIowed by my
own observalions.
Afler allending lhe Viclim Offender Educalion Grou, lhe
men in lhe rogram reorl.
1. A occ:cosc iu uiolcut o: ucgotiuc bchouio:. This is erhas
lhe mosl significanl, langibIe, and commonIy heard
evidence. I heard a slory al lhe rogram`s gradualion a
few monlhs ago lhal calured lhis. The graduale said,
Yeslerday a man on lhe yard came u behind me and
smacked me on lhe back of lhe head wilh a few roIIed
u sheels of aer. Then Iel me leII you where my mind
wenlil wenl lo laking a basebaII bal and bealing him
u. Bul lhal isn`l whal I did. I waIked away, man; I jusl
waIked away.
Mcubc:s of o Iictiu Offcuoc: Eoucotiou G:ou g:oouotiug closs of 2u1u iu Sou Qucutiu :isou osc uith focilitoto:s Bochcllc Eouo:os (ot
f:out), Joiucc Ko::oll (ot bock), ouo Jock Disou (fo: lcft).
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2. Thc obilit to couucct thc oots of thci: lifc to thc oo of
thci: c:iuc. Al a lraining session for oulside faciIilalors,
one of lhe rogram`s inmale faciIilalors calured il in
a way no one eIse couId. How did I go from being a boy
who wouIdn`l sle on an anl lo a gun-loling gang banger?
In lhis rogram I was abIe lo relrace my sles, Iearn, and
aIy lhe looIs lo rocess lhal.
3. A :col couucctiou to ouc's cuotiouol sclf. Al lhal same lraining
session, anolher man said. When I came lo lhe rogram I
was skelicaI. I am an inleIIecluaI and nol in louch wilh my
emolions. Bul eoIe said lo meif you wanl lo go home, you
have lo go lo lhe Viclim Offender Educalion Grou. I had lo
know my emolionaI side. I know sluff aboul everylhing eIse
bul nol me. In lhe rogram, I Iearned aboul me.
4. Au iuc:cosc iu thiukiug c:iticoll. CrilicaI lhinking and
crilicaI seIf-reeclion are imorlanl mechanisms lhe men
in lhis rogram Iearn lo buiId inlo any momenl in which
lhey are lriggered by someone eIse`s aclions or behaviors.
By crealing lhe reeclive sace lo sle back, sle away, or
go laIk lo a friend, a man can move away from engaging in
a vioIenl incidenl lo checking in wilh himseIf, meaning
rocessing on an emolionaI, inleIIecluaI, cuIluraI, or his-
loricaI IeveI why he was lriggered.
. Bccoguitiou thot ougc: is uot o :iuo: cuotiou but o
sccouoo: cuotiou. Once a man recognizes he is gelling
angry, he can Iook for lhe feeIings behind lhe anger lo ri-
mary emolions such as fear or hurl.
6. Au iuc:cosc iu cuoth. Al lhe rogram`s gradualion, a
man said, In my famiIy we shed bIood before we shed lears.
Nol onIy did I Iearn how lo cry in lhis grou, I couIdn`l slo
crying when I heard lhe olher brolhers in lhe grou leII
lheir slories. Once he deveIoed comassion for himseIf,
he was abIe lo deveIo emalhy and comassion for olhers.
,. A bcttc: uuoc:stouoiug of thc boo-uiuo couucctiou.
Anolher inmale co-faciIilalor commenled, Mind-body
conneclion is aying cIose allenlion lo one`s exerience in
lhe momenl wilhoul lhe mind judging or evaIualing lhal
exerience. Il has a Iol lo do wilh redirecling lhe aclivily of
lhe mind lo feeIing bodiIy sensalions.
A New Vision
for CorreclionaI Ofcers
by Sunny Schwarlz and LesIie Levilas
B
cnncLnn1Io nns nLL rnILIo ron uLcnuLs ns n
means for romoling ubIic safely. More oflen lhan
nol, lhe nger is oinled al lhe unreformed inmale as
lhe source of lhal faiIure. Whal aboul lhose who work
in risons and jaiIs? Whal resonsibiIily do lhey bear
for romoling reaI change lhal reduces crime and reslores
communilies? Whal difference couId lhey make if lhey were
lrained in lhe basic rinciIes of human reIalions, business
managemenl, and molivalionaI change, nol lo menlion
resloralive juslice?
In lhis arlicIe we share our exerience, as Ionglime
deveIoers of resloralive raclices in a San Irancisco Counly
JaiI, of lhe deulized slaff who have assisled in bringing aboul
a new vision. We honor lhe courage of lhose mavericks, and
acknowIedge lhe desire of many more lo be a arl of lhal vision.
We recognize how a rofession lhal is unavoidabIy brulaI can,
wilh lhe righl inslilulionaI Ieadershi, encouragemenl, and
lraining, lake sles loward becoming lhe nobIe vocalion lhal
many correclionaI ofcers Iong for il lo be.
We have known decenl, smarl, and comassionale eoIe
who have worked as deulies or correclionaI officers. If lhal
surrises you, you may be rejudiced. Bul you wouId nol be
aIone, because lhe nalure of lhe rison syslem encourages each
of us lo lake sides and dehumanize everyone on lhe olher side.
The mosl insiring eoIe behind lhe cIanging doors of jaiI
and rison are lhose individuaIswhelher wearing risoners`
Suuu Schuo:t: is thc outho: of thc book Dreams Irom The Monsler Iaclory. A TaIe of Prison, Redemlion and One Woman`s Iighl lo
Reslore Juslice To AII ouo hos uo:kco iu thc Sou I:oucisco Shc:iff's Dco:tucut fo: thi:t-ouc co:s. Lcslic Lcuitos, M.A., hos uo:kco fo:
thc Sou I:oucisco Shc:iff's Dco:tucut siucc 1. Shc hos cooutho:co o:ticlcs ou o uo:ict of toics :clotco to c:iuiuol justicc ouo sociol
justicc. Hc: u:itiug ouo hotog:o uc:c iucluoco iu thc :cccut outholog Razor Wire Women. Prisoners, Aclivisls, SchoIars, and Arlisls
(SUNY Sc:ics iu Woucu, C:iuc, ouo C:iuiuolog).
(coutiuuco ou ogc )
faligues, Iaw enforcemenl uniforms, or civiIian cIolheswho
resisl lhal lemlalion and, in doing so, heI lo buiId humanily
where il is in shorl suIy.
How Prisons Fai| Correctiona| OIncers
LL1`s nL cLLnn, 1nLnL Is o1nIo LonLIo nnou1 oun
currenl rison syslem. The lradilionaI way of incarceraling
and reIeasing eoIe is a crime afler crime. Mosl members
of lhe generaI ubIic now know whal induslry insiders have
known for forly years. In lhe lyicaI jaiI or rison, men or
women sIee in lheir bunks, Iay dominoes and cards, walch
Thc Jc:: S:iugc: Shou on TV, and scheme. Aboul lwo-
lhirds of lhose reIeased are rearresled wilhin lhree years. The
correclions syslem has faiIed lhe viclims of crime and our
communilies` needs and execlalions. Il has faiIed lhe eoIe
inside, and lheir famiIies. Whal many of us do nol yel reaIize is
lhal lhe syslem has aIso faiIed lhe rofessionaIs who run il.
Ior sure, deuly sheriffs (or deulies) who work in
counly jaiIs and rison cuslody slaff (commonIy referred lo as
correclionaI or correclions ofcers, COs, or sworn slaff) have
careers lhal aear allraclive and are Iucralive. They are aid
lo allend a mandalory four-lo-six-monlh re-emIoymenl
lraining]academy. They begin lheir careers free of sludenl
Ioan debl. Many undergrads wouId envy lhal, aIong wilh
lhe slarling base saIary belween $4,uuu and $6,uuu,
an exlensive benefil Ian and defined-benefil ension lhal
rovides for reliremenl al age fifly-five wilh 8 ercenl of
saIary for Iife.
Bul lhe conlenl of lhe slandard lraining does nol
adequaleIy reare lhem for lhe reaIilies lhey face on lhe job
or lhe highIy slressfuI and inhumane lhings lhey are asked
lo do. OccualionaI slress is a ervasive robIem wilhin aII
correclionaI jurisdiclions. Deulies and correclions ofcers
face lhe daiIy chaIIenges of effecliveIy managing lhe inmale
ouIalion as weII as lheir own slress IeveIs.
A correclionaI ofcer`s Iife execlancy is hearlbreaking. On
a nalionaI IeveI, according lo lhe CorreclionaI Peace Ofcers
Ioundalion rojecl slalislics ubIished in 2uu4, lhere
were lhirly-nine dealhs in lhe Iine of duly in lhe four years
receding lhe reorl. The suicide rale for correclions has been
recorded as 3 ercenl higher lhan lhal of olher rofessions
(Archives of Suicide Research, 1,). The Sociely of Acluaries
reorled in 14 lhal Correclions Officers had lhe second
highesl morlaIily rale of aII occualions. The MelrooIilan
Life Acluary Slalislics reorled in 18 lhal lhe average Iife
execlancy of a correclions ofcer is fly-eighl.
Our goaI for lhe sworn slaff is nol jusl lo reduce lhis slress
IeveI by deveIoing more coIIaboralive and humane ways lo
manage risons. Il is lo give lhem a osilive roIe in crealing
beller communilies in lhe Iow-income IocaIes from which
mosl inmales come, and from which many of sworn slaff aIso
come. We envisage a fulure in which resloralive juslice sreads
nalionaIIy and risons are draslicaIIy reduced in number, bul
in which lhe sworn slaff are arlners in lhis vilaI aroach,
uliIizing lheir exerience in hoIding eoIe accounlabIe, in
combinalion wilh resloralive raclices, lhereby gaining lhe
resecl of aII segmenls of lhe communily.
Corrections StaII Trainin Ior the
Monster Factory
Wnn1 ooLs 1nnouon 1nL HIus or 1nL uLvu1v snLnIrrs
and correclions officers as lhey enler lhe jaiI lo slarl lheir
shifl? Il may be lhe ride lhal comes wilh a career in ubIic
service. Or il may be fear of reaI and vaIid lhreals lo lhe safely
of lhemseIves and lheir co-workers. Il may be lhe lhoughl
of eighl hours doing a job lhal has eIemenls of boredom and
reelilion. Il may be lhe fruslralion and disgusl of seeing lhe
same individuaIs relurning lo cuslody year afler year, each lime
Iooking and acling lhe worse for lhe wear.
Irom day one, lhe lyicaI lraining lo become a sworn
officer focuses on Iearning defensive laclics, crowd conlroI,
and hysicaI lake-downs. There is minimaI, if any, discussion
of lhe sychoIogy of inmale ouIalions from a humanislic
erseclive, and IillIe Iighl is shed on lhe alhways inlo lhe
criminaI juslice syslem. The core curricuIum does nol cover
issues reIaled lo lhe comIex socioeconomic backgrounds of
lheir charges. The required cIasses lo work in a jaiI make no
menlion of resloralive juslice or olher vehicIes of hoe for
change.
Iurlhermore, aII of lhe lraining lo work in lhis area
reinforces an us-lhem menlaIily lhal lhese rofessionaIs
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A :isouc: oiuts o guo:o: Someone Cares, b Poul :utou. Ac:lic.
Iearn earIy in lheir lraining. We (sworn slaff) are lhe good
guys, and lhey (lhe inmales) are lhe bad guys. They (lhe
risoners) are lhe worsl dregs of humanily, lhe underbeIIy
of our communilies who have hislories of hurling eoIe,
incIuding us, and who are deslined lo hurl our famiIies when
lhey gel oul.
The rofessionaI rogram slaff and voIunleers who rovide
a range of educalionaI, resloralive sociaI rograms for inmales
are oflen considered lo be more a arl of lhe lhey lhan
lhe we. lhey may be seen as bIeeding hearl IiberaIs, Iazy,
rolecled by lhe sworn slaff, useIess (because lhe inmales
are seen as unabIe lo changeonce a criminaI aIways a
criminaI), exensive lo lhe laxayer, and even coIIuding wilh
inmales. Program slaff may be seen as offering a communily-
coIIege-IeveI educalion free lo criminaIsan educalion lhal
lhe sworn slaff have lo ay for lheir own chiIdren lo receive.
As wilh any cuIlure lhal you become a arl of, whelher lhe
mosl rogressive or lhe mosl conservalive, you are execled lo
uhoId lhe lenels and ideoIogy of lhal cuIlure. Members of lhe
Iaw enforcemenl cuIlure deveIo a brolherhood]sislerhood
lhal carries a fierce IoyaIly and muluaI resecl lhal enabIe
lhem lo funclion in lhe adversariaI, difficuIl, and al limes
dangerous condilions of lhe jaiI. Il is Iikened lo being in lhe
foxhoIe logelher during limes of war.
Bul lhere is a backIash lo lhe grou menlaIily. il oflen
resuIls in members of lhe grou succumbing lo eer ressure,
secrecy, coIIusion, and lhe iniclion of crueIly. We musl nol
forgel lhe 1,1 Slanford Prison Exerimenl, Ied by rofessor
PhiIi Zimbardo and olhers, which demonslraled a cIassic
abuse of ower by ordinary cilizens. A grou of sludenls were
randomIy divided inlo risoners and guards and reIegaled
lo a mock rison in lhe basemenl of lhe Slanford PsychoIogy
BuiIding. Those in lhe roIe of guards look lheir aulhorily
lo exlremes, incIuding enIisling some of lhe risoners lo
assisl in sychoIogicaIIy lorluring olhers. These were nol bad
eoIe, lhey were educaled eoIe Iaced in an inhumanIy
unequaI and oosilionaI syslem lhal is hard lo wilhsland.
A DiIIerent Way oI Doin Business
OvLn u,uuu nnnLs1Lu on cnnnoLu IuIvIuunLs oo
lhrough our revoIving jaiI doors each year in lhe cily and
counly of San Irancisco. The men and women behind bars
here, Iike lhose incarceraled across lhe counlry, have been
abandoned lo sociely`s scra hea. Those who commilled
crimes nol onIy hurl lheir viclims, lhey aIso hurl lhemseIves,
lheir own famiIies, and lheir communilies. Many of lhem have
suffered vioIence and abuse as chiIdren and lheir crimes onIy
ereluale lhe cycIe of vioIence. As aduIls, lhey have vioIaled
lhe ubIic`s lrusl and many eoIe wanl lhem Iocked away
for a Iong lime, even in lhe reIaliveIy forgiving environmenl
of San Irancisco. Bul mosl risoners wiII evenluaIIy be back
on lhe slreels, so il is essenliaI lhal lhey are reIeased wilh lhe
skiIIs lo Iead a beller Iife.
Time in jaiI or rison rovides a break from lhe chaos of
dysfunclionaI Iives and lhe cycIes of insanily so an inmale can
reecl on asl behavior or gain skiIIs for lhe fulure. When lhis
lime is enhanced wilh evidence-based lrealmenl rograms
and educalionaI services, il has lhe olenliaI lo dramalicaIIy
change a erson`s Iife for lhe beller, inlerruling lhe cycIe of
crime lhal can affecl generalions lo come.
Drawing on lhis erseclive, in 1u lhe San Irancisco
Sheriff`s Dearlmenl oened ils rsl rogram faciIily where,
in rofessor Linda Zuan`s words, a new generalion of jaiI
managemenl exisled. A new archileclure romoled civiI and
humane managemenl. EquaIIy imorlanl was redesigning lhe
seIeclion, lraining, and managemenl of jaiI slaff. Slarling wilh
Ieadershi. a civiIian (who was himseIf an ex-offender) was
aoinled as lhe overaII faciIily direclor wilh resonsibiIily
simiIar lo any rison warden. Being an ex-feIon is nol a
rerequisile for lhis job, bul having lhe backbone and lhe
beIief in eoIe`s abiIily lo change is fundamenlaI.
He chose lo inslilule oIicies lhal were more inlegralive
and incIusive of aII slaff, which resuIled in coIIaboralions
belween sworn and civiIian slaff, beller officer safely, and
an eye on reducing lhe recidivism. CiviIian slaff were cross-
lrained in fundamenlaI safely and securily measures, whiIe
correclionaI officers were cross-lrained in rogrammalic
conlenl and deIivery of services. EssenliaI lo lhe success of lhis
was lhe arlnershi of a high-ranking sworn ofcer who Ied
by examIe and insired lhe ranks lo buy inlo a concel lhal
wenl counler lo everylhing lhey had Iearned before aboul how
lo do lheir jobs.
We designed a comrehensive imIemenlalion rogram
lhal sel oul cIear goaIs and ways lo measure success. We
asked how heIfuI each rogram was lo bolh risoners and
slaff, and broughl rogram slaff and cuslody slaff inlo each
olhers` meelings so lhal lhey shared resonsibiIily for each
olhers` lasks. We designed various melhods lo kee oen Iines
of communicalion and lo emhasize al every oorlunily lhe
shared mission of bolh slaffs.
We broughl lhe eIehanl inlo lhe room by slaling cIearIy
whal everyone had been execled lo beIieve, naming aII lhe
misconcelions and slereolyes lhal sworn and rogram slaff
had aboul each olher and aboul lhe risoners. We slaled lhal
our goaI was locreale a rofessionaI environmenl free from
misconcelions and slereolyes. Our chaIIenge was, Imagine
yourseIf as an agenl of change and, Remember. resources
are nol lhe robIem, Iack of commilmenl and Ieadershi is!
The San Irancisco Sherriff`s Dearlmenl imIemenled
rograms al lhis faciIily lhal addressed lhe issues needed lo
gel eoIe oul of lheir Iives of crime. deficils in educalion
and Iileracy; comrehensive famiIy services incIuding re-
unicalion, when aroriale, and exanded visilalion whiIe
in cuslody; vioIence revenlion; reIase revenlion; and job
lraining and vocalionaI readiness, lo name a few.
How It Has Worked Ior the Sworn StaII
TnL succLss wns ovLnwnLLHIo, wI1n nLcIuIvIsH nn1Ls
going down and in-jaiI vioIence signicanlIy reduced. Deulies
who worked in lhe rogram faciIily reorled lhal lhese benels
carried over inlo lheir ersonaI Iives, wilh slress reduclion and
Iess lime off for work-reIaled injuries. EvenluaIIy, many of lhe
slaff who had al rsl resisled lhe inlegralion began requesling
lo be assigned lo lhis faciIily. One deuly said.
I kel hearing aboul lhe Iove jaiI rograms and
lhoughl whal a bunch of cra . lhen I was forced lo
work lhere for cross lraining and lhoughl I may have lo
quil . I have lo be honesl, afler lwo weeks of working
al lhe rogram faciIily, I noliced when I gol home, and
my wife noliced il loo, I wanled lo do more lhings wilh
my famiIy and Iay wilh my kids. I never lhoughl I`d say
lhis bul lhese rograms are good for us aIso.
Over lhe years, lhe rograms al lhis faciIily have evoIved
lo incIude a resloralive juslice aroach lo working wilh
maIe inmales. We mandale eoIe lo allend rograms lhal
heI lhem slo lheir hurlfuI behavior and we offer lhe viclims
somelhing lhey aImosl never gel from lhe criminaI juslice
syslem. emalhy, suorl, and direcl services. The ResoIve lo
Slo lhe VioIence Projecl, which works wilh vioIenl men and
lhose harmed by lheir vioIence, lhe Communily of Velerans
Engaged in Resloralion for incarceraled velerans, recovery
rograms, and our own charler high schooI are examIes of
lhis aroach.
The Possibi|ities oI What Cou|d Be
IHnoIL LvLnv 1nIL nu vnIso 1o nL n vLncL wnLnL
we creale and rovide no-nonsense rograms lhal invesl
in eoIe`s success and our ubIic safely. Imagine lhal aII
uniformed slaff in our jaiIs and risons are lrained lo be
inlervenlionisls and educalors who
hoId eoIe accounlabIe for lheir
behavior by roviding oorlunilies
for lhose risoners lo change lhe
behavior lhal broughl lhem lo
rison. Think aboul il. being a
correclionaI ofcer is robabIy one
of lhe mosl lhankIess and slressfuI
jobs. A man or woman is in a od or
lier or dormilory eighl lo len hours
a day, deending on lheir shifl.
AII around our nalion, lhese shifls
exisl around lhe cIock, 36 days a
year, in which rofessionaIs can
have a rofound, osilive inuence
on lhe miIIions of risoners lhal
come in and oul of our jaiIs and
risons. If lhose uniformed slaff
are encouraged and rewarded for
lheir humanily, roIe modeIing,
and conlribulion, lhis wouId have
everIasling ubIic safely benels by
relurning individuaIs back lo our
communily more reared lo become ro-sociaI, Iaw-abiding
cilizens and arlicianls in resloralive juslice efforls. Thal
wouId ul lrue meaning lo lhe lilIe of correclionaI ofcer.
Il is lime lo bring our sociaI juslice rinciIes lo a higher
ground for risoner and worker aIike. Jusl as rograms have
been deveIoed lhal change lhe cuIlure for inmales, changing
lhe cuIlure for lhose who work in lhe jaiIs boiIs down lo lhe
queslion of Ieadershi.
Now is lhe lime for a new aroach lo lraining correclions
ofcers lhroughoul lhe counlry. We now have reaIignmenl
in CaIifornia, whereby lhose formerIy senl lo slale rison
for nonvioIenl, nonsexuaI crimes wiII slay in counly jaiIs or
arliciale in communily-based suervision rograms. Many
shudder al lhis change, bul if done righl, inleIIigenlIy, and wilh
hearl, lhis can be a way oul of lhe madness of doing business as
usuaI wilh mallers of crime and unishmenl. We can change
lhe way we senlence, incarcerale and reIease risoners lhal wiII
imrove ubIic safely, reduce cosl, and uIlimaleIy enhance our
civiIizalion. Now, and in lhe fulure, we have lhe oorlunily
lo bring more effeclive and more humane condilions bolh
lo lhose who Iive and lhose who work wilhin lhe waIIs of our
risons and jaiIs.
IdeaIIy, resloralive juslice is aboul crealing aIlernalives lo
rison aIlogelher, bul we can do il bolh inside and oulside as
everyone has a slake in lhis, ReubIican or Democral, big lenl
IiberaI or smaII-governmenl conservalive; lhis isn`l a arlisan
issue, il is a human one. We can acluaIIy use lhe risons lo make
us safer if we reaIign lhe way we oerale our jaiIs and risons. If
our risons reaIIy correcl behavior, we aII win. Il wiII onIy ha-
en wilh a new vision and exansion of whal lhe sworn slaff
can do for lheir and everyone eIse`s heaIlh and safely. Q
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Iu thc Man.AIive lo (scc cotiou ou ogc 28) Bcggic Douicls (lcft) occouuts fo: his octious,
scokiug th:ough thc iccc to his oftcu-ucglcctco clocst sou (loco b I:coo Gutic::c:, ot :ight)
uho is uou cought iu thc souc st:cct lifc thot cuucloco hiu.
E
LL wns nLL 1oo rnHILInn wI1n 1nL
imacl sexuaI assauIl can have on Iives,
communilies, and sociaI juslice organizing.
Afler being sexuaIIy assauIled by a romi-
nenl anli-overly organizer, Lee feIl con-
fused and belrayed. He sleed back from lhe camaign
lhe lwo of lhem had been working on logelher and began
lo avoid lhe organizer as much as ossibIe. Il was monlhs
before he loId anyone aboul lhe assauIl.
EvenluaIIy, he joined a suorl grou for survivors of sexuaI
vioIence, and began lo work lhrough some of lhe numbness,
shame, and fear lhal had deveIoed afler lhe assauIl. As he
began lo confronl lhese feeIings, whal emerged from wilhin
him was a dee weII of grief and anger. Il became more and
more difcuIl lo see lhe organizer al communily meelings or
friends` arlies. He slarled gelling angry wilh his housemales
for inviling lhe organizer lo evenls al lhe house, even lhough
lhey had no knowIedge of lhe assauIl. Much of his anger
slemmed from lhe Iack of reercussions facing lhe organizer,
as weII as lhe Iack of ower he had lo rolecl himseIf from lhe
organizer`s ongoing resence in his Iife.
Lee knew lhal he did nol wanl lo reorl lhe sexuaI assauIl
lo lhe oIice, for a whoIe Iong Iisl of reasons. He wouId Iose
conlroI of his slory if he reorled il; he wouId be forced lo
leII lhe delaiIs of whal haened lo lhe oIice and lo leslify
in courl; a number of ainfuI delaiIs aboul his own Iife and
hislory mighl emerge; and he wouId aImosl denileIy Iose lhe
case. Bul more imorlanlIy, lhe idea of ressing charges feIl
Iike ils own lragedy. He had become oIilicized in lhe anli-
oIice brulaIily movemenl and was now invoIved in rison
aboIilion organizing. Lee`s sense of juslice, whal wouId make
him feeI Iike lhe anli-overly organizer had faced his due, had
nolhing lo do wilh courls or cos or risons. IinaIIy, no maller
lhe verdicl, he didn`l beIieve a courl case wouId make lhe
organizer change. Lee wanled him lo somehow undersland
lhe harm he had done, lake resonsibiIily for il, and lransform
whalever il was inside him lhal had made him do il. Bul Lee
didn`l wanl lo be lhe one lo ush lhe organizer lo changehe
couIdn`l even bear lo be in lhe same room wilh him. And so he
jusl lried lo forgel lhe incidenl had ever haened.
Lee`s slorywhich we are sharing wilh his ermission, hav-
ing changed his name and idenlifying delaiIsevokes lhe frus-
lralingIy Iimiled olions avaiIabIe lo survivors of sexuaI assauIl
in mosl U.S. cilies and lhe urgency of crealing new syslems.
This is a heIfuI slarling oinl lo begin discussing lransforma-
live juslice aroaches for addressing sexuaI assauIl.
Whal wouId haen if our resonses lo sexuaI assauIl came
from a vision of lhe worId we wanl lo Iive in? A scallering of
grous, incIuding UBUNTU in Durham, Safe OUTside lhe
Syslem CoIIeclive in BrookIyn, Young Women`s Emowermenl
Projecl in Chicago, Communily Uniled Againsl VioIence in San
Irancisco, and olhers across lhe Uniled Slales and Canada,
are working lo creale communily accounlabiIily and suorl
nelworks based nol on lhe unilive and coercive melhods of
lhe criminaI juslice syslem bul ralher on rinciIes of care and
harm reduclion.
In PennsyIvania, lwo organizalions invoIved in lhis
work are PhiIIy Slands U and lhe PhiIIy Survivor Suorl
cuch Ausfclo is ou o:goui:c: uith Phill Stouos U ouo Phill DS. Tiuoth Coluou is ou o:goui:c: uith thc Phill Su:uiuo: Suo:t
Collcctiuc, o fo:uc: ucubc: of Phill's Pissco, ouo o cout:ibuto: to The RevoIulion Slarls al Home. Confronling Inlimale VioIence Wilhin
Aclivisl Communilies (South Euo P:css, 2u11). If ou o:c iutc:cstco iu lco:uiug uo:c o: oouotiug to suo:t thci: uo:k, lcosc uisit:
hillsuo:tstouos.uo:o:css.cou.
Confronling SexuaI AssauIl.
Transformalive Juslice on lhe
Ground in PhiIadeIhia
by Bench AnseId
and Timolhy CoIman
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CoIIeclive, grous lhal lrace lheir rools back lo 2uu4, when
a grou caIIed PhiIIy`s Pissed formed oul of a burning rage
al lhe Iack of olions for survivors of sexuaI assauIl in lheir
communilies. Based in Wesl PhiIadeIhia, bolh grous work
in coIIaboralion lo shifl cuIluraI resonses lo sexuaI assauIl,
bring heaIing and accounlabiIily lo lhe fore, and chaIIenge
lhe unilive resonse of lhe slale. Iaced wilh a criminaI IegaI
syslem lhal roulineIy disemowers survivors and an exIoding
U.S. rison ouIalion, il is cIear lhal we are in dire need of
aIlernalives lo revenl, confronl, and heaI from sexuaI assauIl
and inlimale arlner vioIence.
One way lo move away from lhe unilive melhods of lhe
criminaI IegaI syslem is lo lurn loward lhe idea of communily
accounlabiIily. Our work is aboul reaIizing lhe olenliaI
carried by our famiIies, communilies, and nelworks lo address
vioIence wilhoul reIying uon lhe oIice, courls, risons, or
olher slale and nonrofil syslems. We did nol invenl lhis
slralegy; many of our guiding rinciIes have been made
ossibIe by indigenous communilies` resonses lo vioIence,
bolh hisloricaIIy and conlemoraneousIy, as weII as INCITE!
Women of CoIor Againsl VioIence`s groundbreaking efforls lo
documenl communily accounlabiIily modeIs.
Inslead of inlerrogaling and viclim-bIaming lhe survivor,
lhen unishing and demonizing lhe erson who erelraled
assauIl, we envision and conslrucl syslems of communily
accounlabiIily lhal are grounded in safely, seIf-delerminalion,
heaIing, and lhe human olenliaI lo change. CenlraI lo lhis
generalive rojecl is an underslanding lhal inslances of sexuaI
vioIence occur wilhin Iarger syslems of slrucluraI vioIence and
oression. We musl confronl each individuaI acl of sexuaI
vioIence wilhin ils syslemic conlexl. Al lhe same lime, we
musl buiId aIIiances wilh movemenls bolh in PhiIadeIhia and
beyond lo end aII forms of inlerersonaI and slale vioIence.
We caII lhis work lransformalive juslice, and we raclice il as
arl of an insiring movemenl lhal is germinaling lhroughoul
Norlh America.
Forin Paths to SaIety,
Justice, and Hea|in
AvvLvIo n 1nnsronHn1IvL 1us1IcL nvvnoncn 1o 1nL
issue of sexuaI assauIl means working lo suorl individuaI
survivors whiIe buiIding reaI olions for safely, juslice, and
heaIing oulside of unilive and disciIinary slale syslems.
Efforls lo creale aIlernalive syslems such as lhis are underway
from Norlh CaroIina lo CaIifornia. Here in PennsyIvania, lhe
PhiIIy Survivor Suorl CoIIeclive is working lo creale and
mainlain syslems of suorl and accounlabiIily whoIIy oulside
lhe framework of lhe criminaI IegaI syslem.
Our commilmenl lo lransformalive juslice comes oul
of a recognilion lhal lhe criminaI IegaI syslem dehumanizes
and disemowers aII survivors, in addilion lo increasing
lhe amounl of vioIence in aII of our Iives. This negalive
imacl is mosl acule for survivors and communilies who
are aIready disroorlionaleIy largeled by slale vioIence,
incIuding communilies of coIor and indigenous communilies,
and survivors who are sex workers, incarceraled, and]or
lransgender. We beIieve lhal efforls lo lransform our
communilies musl be grounded bolh in lhe resenl momenl
in lhe form of ensuring survivor safely and riorilizing
survivors` seIf-direcled heaIingas weII as in lhe Iong hauI.
working loward a vision of lhe worId we wanl. In order for
lhe movemenl lo end sexuaI assauIl lo be Ied by lhose mosl
direclIy affecled, we musl buiId our caacily lo suorl each
olher`s heaIing, ensuring lhal as survivors, we are abIe lo bring
lhe fuIIness of our wisdom and exerience lo lhe work.
Ior many eoIe, il is difficuIl lo even conceive of a way
of resonding lo vioIencewhelher sexuaI assauIl or olher
kindslhal does nol reIy on lhe courls, oIice, or risons. We
are eager lo share a descrilion of our work in PhiIIy wilh lhe
hoe lhal il wiII encourage olhers lo join in lhe growing move-
menl lo creale aIlernalive aroaches lo addressing harm.
On an individuaI IeveI, our work is aIways direcled by lhe
survivor. Our roIe is lo Iislen lo lhem, meel lhem where lhey`re
al, offer emolionaI suorl and resources, and creale soIulions
logelher. We ask survivors if lhey have iniliaI riorilies lhal
lhey wanl lo focus on as a rsl sle; afler lhey idenlify lhese,
we crealiveIy Ian logelher how lo address lhem. These oflen
incIude immediale heaIlh or safely needs, such as emolionaI
suorl, medicaI care, counseIing, slralegizing lo engage lhe
suorl of eoIe cIose lo lhem, acuunclure, chiId care, safely
Ianning, lraveI lo gel away from a harmfuI silualion or lo be
near Ioved ones or concrele resources, or any number of olher
needs.
Afler lhese urgenl needs are mel, we slay resenl wilh
survivors as lhey begin lo exIore olions for accounlabiIily,
juslice, and heaIing. Transformalive juslice offers a Iens
lhrough which survivors can examine lhe underIying
condilions where lhe vioIence occurred, and idenlify whal
change lhey mighl wanl from lhe erson who harmed lhem,
lheir communily, or lhe broader worId. Survivors mighl ursue
individuaI or coIIeclive alhs lo heaIing, mighl make demands
for accounlabiIily or lransformalion from lhe communilies
or organizalions where lhe assauIl occurred, and mighl make
demands of lhe erson who harmed lhem or Ieave lhal erson
aside aIlogelher. During lhis rocess, we work lo lransform lhe
communily, eoIe, or inslilulions lhal surround lhe survivors,
increasing lhe caacily of lhe communily lo be resonsive lo
lhe survivors` needs.
Each silualion we lake on offers ils own chaIIenges, which
are aIso ossibiIilies for growlh and lransformalion. If a
survivor chooses lo make demands for accounlabiIily from
lhe erson who caused harm, we may assisl lhe survivor in
engaging lhe suorl of friends or communily members
lo communicale lhese demands, or in faciIilaling an
accounlabiIily rocess wilh PhiIIy Slands U. If lhe erson
who caused lhe harm is sliII in lhe survivor`s Iife or communily,
we can work wilh lhe survivor lo creale a safely Ian or ask for
cerlain shared-sace oIicies.
Safely Ianning is a looI oflen used by survivors who are in
a reIalionshi wilh an abusive arlner, lo minimize olenliaI
harm and lo have a Ian lo draw uon quickIy if lhey need
lo Ieave. Shared-sace oIicies are commilmenls made by
Ioved ones, communily members, or organizalions lo lake
cerlain aclions, as delermined by lhe survivor, in lhe evenl
lhal lhe survivor is ul in lhe osilion of sharing sace wilh
a erson who has harmed lhem. These oIicies can acl as one
aIlernalive lo a reslraining order. The aclion requesled by
lhe survivor mighl be lo ask a erson who has caused harm
lo Ieave saces where lhe survivor is resenl unliI lhal erson
has demonslraled a behavior change, or lo have suorl leams
on hand lhal can offer soIidarily, suorl and safely lo lhe
survivor when lhe erson who caused harm is resenl. Anolher
olion survivors mighl ursue is idenlifying harmfuI raclices
or alliludes endemic wilhin lheir communily or lhe Iarger
cuIlure lhal conlribuled lo inslances of sexuaI vioIence, such
as viclim-bIaming, siIencing, sexism, racism, lranshobia,
lransmisogyny, cIassism, abIeism, criminaIizalion of sex work,
and many olhers, and caIIing uon eoIe lo work coIIecliveIy
lo eradicale lhese alliludes.
Il is imorlanl nol lo Iace lhe burden for ending sexuaI
assauIl on survivors. We musl ghl lhe idea lhal lhe survivor
of a sexuaI assauIl is resonsibIe for lransforming lhe
erson who harmed lhem or revenling lhal erson from
sexuaIIy assauIling someone eIse. Our work is founded in lhe
lransformalive juslice rinciIe lhal we are oll resonsibIe for
addressing lhe rool causes of sexuaI assauIl, and lhal logelher,
we hoId lhe ower lo lransform our communilies.
Toward a Non-Punitive Accountabi|ity
I1 cn nL n nnnnowIo vnocLss 1o LL1 ounsLLvLs ovL
u lo lhe hoe lhal someone who has erelraled assauIl can
lruIy be accounlabIe, eseciaIIy given lhe shorlage of modeIs
of juslice lhal are nol enlrenched in relribulion, dehumaniza-
lion, and incarceralion. Transformalive juslice rocessesIike
lhose lhal PhiIIy Slands U faciIilales wilh eoIe who have
erelraled assauIlare fundamenlaIIy aboul aIlering our
ideas aboul whal seems ossibIe, reminding us lhal we can
no Ionger afford lo dismiss eoIe who harm olhers as ines-
caabIy vioIenl. Our accounlabiIily rocesses are insired by
our failh lhal we reaIIy can dream u and raclice melhods for
confronling sexuaI vioIence lhal move us loward safer, more
seIf-delermined communilies, as weII as gnaw al lhe slrucluraI
underinnings foslering cuIlures of vioIence.
Our inlervenlions are rooled in lhe safely, heaIing, and de-
mands of lhe survivor, bul oflen go beyond lhese foundalions
lo ask how we can idenlify and lransform lhe allerns of be-
havior lhal enabIed lhe assauIl in lhe rsl Iace. As we work lo
shifl accounlabiIily away from lhe survivor and onlo lhe erson
who erelraled assauIl, we have lo dene whal accounlabiIily
means in each unique silualion. The conlours of each rocess
Iook quile differenl from one anolher, bul lhey share lhe same
core objeclives. Over lhe course of weeks, monlhs, or years, our
weekIy meelings slrive lo ush lhe erson who erelraled as-
sauIl lo recognize lhe harm lhey have done (regardIess of lheir
inlenlions), acknowIedge lhe harm`s imacl, make arori-
ale reslilulion, and deveIo skiIIs for lransforming alliludes
and behaviors lhal are harmfuI lo seIf or olhers.
Whenever ossibIe, an inlervenlion lreals as ils grounding
documenl a Iisl of demands from lhe survivor lhal have been
shared wilh us by lhe survivor direclIy or lhrough lhe survivor
suorl coIIeclive. These demands can range from do nol
share sace wilh lhe survivor lo comose a Ieller of aoIogy
lo discIose lo your currenl and aII fulure arlners. The
demand Iisl guides us lhroughoul an inlervenlion and offers a
langibIe checkIisl we can use lo measure our rogress.
IrequenlIy, lhough, our rocesses are forced lo reckon
wilh issues unromled by a survivor`s demands. When
a erson who has jusl been caIIed oul for sexuaI assauIl
firsl comes lo useilher on lheir own voIilion or due lo
communily ressurelheir Iife is oflen in shambIes. Before
we can slarl recounling secic vioIenl incidenls or reading
over a demand Iisl, we have lo make sure lhal lhey have
secure housing, a decenl job, and a sleady diel. Il is nol
unusuaI for us lo heI lhem oblain a suilabIe lheraisl or
assisl lhem in reaching oul lo lheir Ioved ones for suorl and
guidance. These lasks are crilicaI for mosl any lransformalive L
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Thc futilit of :isou: if
uc uout uothiug to oo
uith it, uc houc to fuo
othc: uos to :csouo to
uiolcut ossoults.
juslice rocess, as lhey enabIe lhe caacily for change by
coIIaboraliveIy cuIlivaling looIs for finding baIance and
grounding. Through lhis melhodoIogy, we nol onIy buiId lrusl
and modeI inlerdeendence, we aIso work loward eIiminaling
a mainsring of sexuaI assauIlinslabiIily and insecurily.
Oflen lhe mosl difficuIl chaIIenge facing an inlervenlion
is earning buy in from lhe erson who erelraled assauIl.
Because we rejecl lhe forcefuI vioIence inlrinsic lo lhe criminaI
IegaI syslem`s inlervenlions inlo sexuaI assauIlsuch as forced
rehabiIilalion, incarceralion, or, so frequenlIy, inaclionwe
are forced lo devise crealive lechniques lo consensuaIIy uII
someone inlo a rocess. AIlhough we somelimes have lo reIy
uon lhe use of communily Ieverage lo ersuade someone
lo work wilh us, we make every efforl lo draw someone in by
heIing lhem acknowIedge lheir own caII lo change.
Il is crilicaI lo laiIor an accounlabiIily rocess in such a
way as lo make lhe erson we are working wilh undersland
lhal lhey ucco lhe rocess. Of course, lhis acknowIedgemenl
can onIy arise in a lrusling and comforlabIe almoshere. Ior
lhis reason we kee our meelings smaII and inlimale, wilh
lwo members resenl for each inlervenlion. Oflen we meel
in ubIic saces Iike a ark or a lrain slalion so as lo avoid
making lhe erson who erelraled assauIl feeI cornered or
allacked. And we coIIaboraliveIy design a rocess around
lheir needs and abiIilies. During one inlervenlion, any given
meeling mighl have invoIved visuaI aclivilies Iike skelching
and maing, brealhing exercises, or oelry. These slralegies
reecl an ongoing baIancing acl as we slrive lo make lhe erson
who erelraled assauIl feeI safe enough lo resecl lhe rocess
and be vuInerabIe, whiIe sliII being oen lo lhe chaIIenges we
are osing.
As an accounlabiIily rocess sIowIy gains lraclion, we begin
lo idenlify harmfuI allerns of behavior as olenliaI siles of
lransformalion. IaciIilaling lhe recognilion of dee-sealed
and deslruclive cycIes of behavior can be one of lhe mosl lrying
eIemenls of an inlervenlion. Mosl oflen, lhis requires naming
and unacking lhe ways lhal various riviIeges and inlernaIized
oressions Iay oul in reIalionshis. Ior inslance, we may
have lo unraveI how abIeism was al work in an abIe-bodied
erson`s reealed coercion of her arlner lo have sex during
are-us from an auloimmune disorder. Or we may have lo
ma oul how a cisgendered man`s alriarchaI sociaIizalion
conlribuled lo a generaI imbaIance of conlroI in a helerosexuaI
reIalionshi. In a simiIar fashion, our inlervenlions frequenlIy
scrulinize how oressive race and cIass dynamics conlribule
lo a reIalionshi almoshere rie for sexuaI assauIl. As
faciIilalors, lhis is oflen lhe mosl hazardous ground lo cross.
Acling as bolh wilness and menlor lo a lransformalive juslice
rocess is aIlernaleIy fruslraling and enIivening, aaIIing and
regeneralive.
Il is crilicaI lo nole lhal our work is nol aboul curing
lhe erson who erelraled assauIl. A IifeIong and cross-
generalionaI rojecl rooled nol in lhal erson`s rehabiIilalion,
nor in lhe resloralion of lhe communily lhal exisled re-assauIl,
lransformalive juslice is, ralher, a consislenl movemenl loward
communily safely and individuaI]coIIeclive lransformalion.
By way of iIIuslralion, our inlervenlion wilh Jesse (again, a
seudonym) Iasled lwo years, and conlinues wilh occasionaI
check-ins. Al lhe beginning of his rocess, Jesse showed u lo
meelings recaIcilranl and invuInerabIe. Cerlain lhal he had
done nolhing harmfuI, he argued lhal his ex-arlnerlhe
survivor in lhis silualionwas gelling revenge on him by
misreresenling as assauIl an incidenl lhal was in acluaIily
a simIe issue of oor communicalion. In order lo suslain
lhe rocess and kee him coming lo meelings, we ul lhe
assauIl in queslion on lhe back burner for lhe rsl six monlhs,
dedicaling our lime logelher lo buiIding lrusl and heIing
him secure a new home. SIowIy, as faciIilalors, we began lo
idenlify his harmfuI allerns of behaviorincIuding enl-u
anger, narcissism, and an inabiIily lo communicale his needs.
CorresondingIy, we sel aboul cuIlivaling reIevanl looIs, such
as emalhy-buiIding, anger managemenl, communicaling in
slressfuI conlexls, and eslabIishing consenl during sex. By lhe
lime Jesse was amenabIe lo discussing lhe secic incidenls
of assauIl, we had aIready deveIoed a wide sel of looIs for
emalhizing wilh lhe exerience of lhe survivor, idenlifying
his deslruclive aclions, and raclicing a differenl course of
aclion in a simiIar conlexl. Many monlhs Ialer, when Jesse
had mel lhe survivor`s demands, indicaled his caacily for
heaIlhy reIalionshis, and demonslraled a command over his
own damaging behavior, we began lransilioning oul of lhe
rocess. Yel even now, wilh lhe inlervenlion no Ionger aclive,
our check-ins wilh Jesse conrm lhal he is ressing on wilh
lhe crilicaI work of seIf-lransformalion, effecliveIy keeing lhe
accounlabiIily rocess aIive.
Seven years oul, il sliII feeIs as lhough we are reaching
lhrough lhe dark nearIy as oflen as we are coming u againsl
famiIiar scenarios. As one smaII iece of a growing movemenl,
we know il is onIy lhrough our risks and mislakes lhal we can
coIIecliveIy forge crealive resonses lo vioIence. Q
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nL I rns1 nLnnu nnou1 nLs1onn1IvL
juslice, I remember feeIing Iiberaled and
insired by lhe idea of a movemenl lhal
advocales resonses lo harm lhal do nol
infIicl more harm. Whal a concel! Il
gave me hoe lhal lhe unloId harms in lhis worId couId be ad-
dressed in heaIing waysways lhal addressed why harms were
haening in lhe rsl Iace. We couId ul our energies and re-
sources inlo reairing whalever needed mending and changing
whalever was generaling hurl. Because lhere is no arl of our
Iives where conicls, hurls, and harms do nol arise, resloralive
juslice can be revoIulionary lo virluaIIy everylhing we do. The
concel seemed so simIe yel so rofound.
Resloralive juslice sliII gives me hoe, bul my exeriences
and conversalions on lhe 2uu4 Dakola Commemoralive
March, and my refIeclions since lhen, have dramalicaIIy
changed my orienlalion lo lhe resloralive juslice movemenl. I
sliII beIieve lhal il hoIds huge romise for heIing us Iearn how
lo coexisl, bul I now lhink lhe very essence of resloralive juslice
as a hiIosohy and way of Iife caIIs us lo exand our focus lo
incIude more lhan erson-lo-erson harms. Whal aboul our
hisloryhow we gol lo where we are as eoIes? How did we
end u wilh lhis square egs onIy egboard, and al whal
cosl?
These are lhe more fundamenlaI queslionslhose lhal
make us Iook al lhe rools of harm. As we do, we are chaIIenged
lo aIy whal resloralive juslice raclilioners have Iearned
aboul heaIing harms belween individuaIs lo heaIing harms be-
lween eoIes. This is lhe direclion resloralive juslice musl go,
I beIieve, or il wiII faII shorl of fuIIIing ils romise. Indeed, il
wiII risk joining lhe olher side and becoming arl of lhe insli-
lulions lhal nol onIy deny lhe grealesl causes of suffering bul
aIso acliveIy ereluale harm.
The Dakota Commemorative March
Pnn1IcIvn1Io I 1nL Dnxo1n CoHHLHonn1IvL Mnncn
was Iike walching, aII week Iong, a movie aboul lhe lerribIe
ways lhe while coIonizers have lrealed lhe indigenous eo-
Ie in my home slale of Minnesola, onIy I was in lhe movie
and Iiving il. I sliII am. The march commemorales whal
Dcuisc C. :ctou is thc co-fouuoc: ouo caccutiuc oi:ccto: of Liuiug Justicc P:css, o uou:oft ublishc: ocuotco to :csto:otiuc justicc. Cooutho: of
fou: books, shc is uou u:itiug CoIonizers No More. Who Are WeWinners, Losers, or ReIalives? This o:ticlc uos oootco f:ou ou csso ub-
lishco iu In lhe Ioolsles of Our Anceslors. The Dakola Commemoralive Marches of lhe 21sl Cenlury, coitco b Wo:iotouiu Augclo Wilsou
(2uu, liuiugjusticc:css.o:g).
DecoIonizing
Resloralive Juslice
by Denise C. Brelon
Thc biouuuol Dokoto Couucuo:otiuc Mo:ch :ct:occs thc 1u-uilc fo:cco uo:ch iuosco ou obout 1,7uu Dokoto colc iu 182. Thc
hotog:ohc:, Bcubcu Kitto, uo:chcs uith his fouil cuc: tiuc iu ucuo: of his ouccsto: Po:ohiocuiu, uho cuou:co thc uo:ch ot ogc
tucut-sia uith hc: fou: chilo:cu ouo cloc:l uothc:, ot thc souc tiuc thot hc: husbouo uos scutcucco b o uilito: t:ibuuol to ocoth b
hougiug. Is :csto:otiuc justicc oblc to ooo:css ho:us ou thc scolc of gcuocioc ouo uhitc su:cuoc?
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haened al lhe end of lhe U.S.-Dakola War of 1862, when
aboul 2,uuu Dakola eoIe surrendered lo lhe U.S. army wilh
lhe assumlion lhey wouId be lrealed humaneIy as risoners
of war. The organizers of lhe march exIain on lheir websile
(dakola-march.umegs.com) whal ensued.
The men were searaled oul and lried as war criminaIs
by a ve-man miIilary lribunaI. As many as forly cases
were lried in a singIe day, some laking as IillIe as ve
minules. Uon comIelion of lhe lriaIs, 3u, men were
condemned lo dealh and sixleen were given rison
senlences. The remaining Dakola eoIe, rimariIy
women, chiIdren, and eIderIy, were lhen forced lo en-
dure brulaI condilions as lhey were forcibIy marched lo
Iorl SneIIing and lhen imrisoned in Minnesola`s rsl
concenlralion cam lhrough a difcuIl winler.
As bolh grous were araded lhrough Minnesola lowns
on lheir way lo lhe cams, while cilizens of Minnesola
Iined lhe slreels lo launl and assauIl lhe defenseIess
Dakola. Poignanl and ainfuI oraI hisloricaI accounls
delaiI lhe abuses suffered by Dakola eoIe on lhese
journeys. In addilion lo suffering coId, hunger, and
sickness, lhe Dakola aIso endured having rollen food,
rocks, slicks, and even boiIing waler lhrown al lhem.
An unknown number of men, women and chiIdren died
aIong lhe way from bealings and olher assauIls ere-
lraled by bolh soIdiery and cilizens. Dakola eoIe of
loday sliII do nol know whal became of lheir bodies.
This elhnic cIeansing of Dakola eoIe from Minnesola
was one arl of lhe fuIIImenl of a Iarger oIicy of geno-
cide. Governor AIexander
Ramsey had decIared on
Selember , 1862, lhal, The
Sioux Indians of Minnesola
musl be exlerminaled or
driven forever beyond lhe
borders of lhe slale. The
lrealmenl of Dakola eoIe,
incIuding lhe hanging |of
lhirly-eighl Dakola oIilicaI
risoners] in Mankalo and
lhe forced removaI of Dakola
eoIe from Minnesola, were
lhe firsl hases of Ramsey`s
Ian. His Ian was furlher imIemenled when boun-
lies were Iaced on lhe scaIs of Dakola eoIe, which
evenluaIIy reached $2uu. Punilive exedilions were
lhen senl oul over lhe nexl few years lo hunl down
lhose Dakola who had nol surrendered and lo ensure
lhey wouId nol relurn. These aclions cIeared lhe way for
while sellIemenl of Minnesola.
During lhe commemoralive march, I saw a Iook on lhe
faces of lhe Dakola, eseciaIIy lhe eIders, when lhey saw me
bIond as can be, cIearIy while and nol raised among lhem.
Many had endured Iifelimes of suffering al lhe hands of while
coIonizersnearIy boiIing waler oured on chiIdren`s hands
in boarding schooIs as unishmenl for seaking lheir own
Ianguage, bealings and sexuaI abuse in schooIs, raes and
murders never even invesligaled much Iess broughl lo juslice,
chiIdren sloIen from lheir arenls, conlinuaIIy dehumaniz-
ing slereolyes and messages aboul lhem in coIonizer sociely,
excIusion from economic oorlunilies, and comIele deniaI
lhal injuslices had ever been done. Though nol ungracious,
lhe Dakola eIders did nol come u lo me, shake my hand, and
say how gIad lhey were lo see me lhere. How couId lhey?
Resloralive juslice does invoIve bringing logelher viclims
and offenders, bul onIy afler considerabIe rearalion has
been done on bolh sides. Iorcing lhose harmed lo come lo-
gelher wilh lhose who have beneled from lhose harms re-
malureIy couId inicl grealer damage, eseciaIIy during limes
when lhe viclims of harms wanl nolhing more lhan lo be Iefl
aIone lo grieve lheir Iosses. As for us coIonizers, we are far
from doing our rearalion for such a meeling.
When I idenlify myseIf as a coIonizer, il is nol a IabeI I
lake on wilh ride. Ralher, wilh a heavy hearl I aIy lhis lerm
lo myseIf lo reecl my reaIizalion lhal no maller how deeIy I
seek lo aIign myseIf wilh anli-coIoniaI slruggIe in lhe resenl,
lhe reaIily of my while skin, lhe famiIy inlo which I was born,
and lhe sublIe ideoIogies I was raised wilh Iace me on lhe
wrong side of hislory. I aIy lhe coIonizer IabeI lo myseIf
and lo olher while eoIe in lhe Uniled Slales lo remind us
lo exand our awareness of how we have been rogrammed
lo be racisl and of how we now funclion as coIonizers, nol onIy
by benefiling from asl harms bul aIso by juslifying lhem,
so lhal lhe slalus quo lhal secures our advanlage remains
unchanged.
Mosl of us have nol seen lhis movie of calaslrohic harm
lo olhers. We Iive obIivious lo lhe immensily of harms done,
so we are nol even considering whal rearalion on our arl
wouId be necessary for a resloralive juslice meeling wilh
Nalive eoIes.
Minnesola`s coIonizer sociely has resonded lo lhis his-
lory and ils effecls mainIy lhrough sociaI service rograms
or, if lhose faiI, lhrough lhe criminaI juslice syslemin olher
words, by imrisoning Nalive eoIe. Yel neilher of lhese re-
sonses addresses lhe rools of harm. Quile lhe oosile, lhey
kee lhe movie`s Iol going in ils originaI genocidaI direc-
lion, because lhe aim of bolh inslilulionssociaI services and
criminaI jusliceis forced assimiIalion inlo coIonizer sociely.
They are nol designed lo honor lhe Dakola PeoIe or lo reclify
Iongslanding harms againsl lhem. As Waziyalawin, Ph.D.
aulhor of Whot Docs Justicc Look Likc? Thc St:ugglc fo:
Libc:otiou iu Dokoto Houclouo, Io: Iuoigcuous Ecs Oul:
A Dccoloui:otiou Houobook, and moreso cIearIy exIains, a
Gou. Alcaouoc: Bousc
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sociaI service mindsel furlher bIames lhe viclims of genocide,
racism, and coIonizalion; il does nol romole decoIonizalion
by chaIIenging lhese reaIilies as lhe rools of harm.
Resloralive juslice couId offer a more aroriale resonse,
because il requires acknowIedging lhal al lhe rool of lhese
harms Iie criminaI aclsindeed, immense crimes againsl hu-
manily. The issue belween Minnesola`s coIonizer ouIalion
and lhe Dakola PeoIe is a criminaI issue rsl. AII lhe sociaI,
economic, and oIilicaI issues lhal Nalive eoIe face loday
foIIow from lhis cenlraI lrulh. crimes have occurred lhal have
never been reclied or broughl lo juslice.
How Restorative Justice Is Losin
Credibi|ity With First Nations
As wI1n nv vIc1IH-orrLuLn sI1un1Io, nLs1onn1IvL
juslice rocesses begin when lhe erelralors
of harm acknowIedge whal lhey did and
lake resonsibiIily for lhe harms lhey
caused. AcknowIedging lhe crime
and reclifying ils effecls are cenlraI
lo heIing bolh lhe viclim and
lhe offender recover and be
abIe lo Iive good Iives. OnIy
when lhe crime is addressed
lo lhe viclim`s salisfaclion can
lhe viclim and lhe offender
begin lo exIore whelher or
nol lhey are abIe lo be in a good
reIalionshi wilh each olher.
If, however, lhe crime is nol even
acknowIedged, much Iess reaired,
viclims are conlinuaIIy reviclimized.
In facl, lhey are oflen bIamed for lhe harm,
as if lhey deserved lo suffer or as if il were lheir
fauIl; lhey are bIamed for faiIing lo bounce back; or lhey are
bIamed for lhe dismaI condilion lhal lhe crime Iefl lhem in.
The assumlion is aIways lhal somelhing is wrong wilh lhe
viclim. In lhe meanlime, lhe offenders nol onIy go scol-free
wilh lhe booly bul aIso conlinue lo harm lheir viclims by nol
hoIding lhemseIves accounlabIe for lhe ongoing suffering lhey
are causing.
If lhe resloralive juslice movemenl faiIs lo address lhe
coIoniaI crimes embedded in our hislory, il wiII risk Iosing
credibiIily in lhis counlry, as il seems lo have aIready done in
Canada. Many Iirsl Nalions now rejecl resloralive juslice,
and reciseIy on lhese grounds. The core vision of going lo
lhe rools of harm and doing whal il lakes lo ul lhings righl
is exerienced as emly rheloric, invoked onIy when coIoniaI
ower slruclures deem il advanlageous lo do so. Inslead of
working loward whoIeness for coIonized eoIes, resloralive
juslice funclions as anolher looI of coIonizer inslilulions, whose
goaI is nol heaIing bul for one grou lo juslify and reinforce
lheir dominalion of anolher. Resloralive juslice is simIy
used lo make lhe vioIence of lhe criminaI juslice syslemlhe
coIonizers` conlroI-by-fear slseem more humane. Inslead
of addressing lhe wider conlexls lhal generale harm, lhe focus
slays on lrying lo x erson-lo-erson conicls. IndividuaIs,
famiIies, or communilies are viewed as lhe robIem, whiIe lhe
Iarger reasons lhal individuaIs, famiIies, or communilies have
robIems remain invisibIe. Resloralive juslice is used lo serve
lhe needs of lhe coIonizer slale, nol lo emower communilies
and Iiberale eoIes.
This does nol mean lhal we as individuaIscoIonizers or
OriginaI PeoIeshouId nol be heId accounlabIe for lhe harm
we do. Yel here in Minnesola, we coIonizers have nol been
heId accounlabIe ot oll for slale-sanclioned, cilizen-suorled
crimes againsl humanilyand yel we describe ourseIves
as inlernalionaI Ieaders in resloralive juslice. How couId
Dakola eoIeor anyone eIse who knows lhe
hislorylake resloralive juslice seriousIy if
we diIigenlIy hoId lhis or lhal offender
accounlabIe for drug ossession or
sleaIing a car or even doing grafli
whiIe we faiI lo hoId ourseIves
accounlabIe for genocide lhal
we commilled so we couId sleaI
an enlire slale`s worlh of Iand
and bequealh il lo our own,
generalion afler generalion?
If we were lo aIy our own
Iaws aboul murder and sloIen
roerly lo lhis case, we wouId
have lo ruIe lhal every lime we seII
a house in Minnesola, we commil
a feIony, and every Minnesola reaIlor
shouId be imrisoned for deaIing in sloIen
roerly gained lhrough murder.
What White Peop|e Can Do
RLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL uoLs o1 nnvL 1o nL nI1ncxLu I1o
being an accomIice lo coIonizalion, for ils rools are nol lhere.
If resloralive juslice embarks on Iarge-scaIe heaIing belween
enlire eoIes, lhe syslemic issues causing suffering lo Nalive
eoIes wiII begin lo be addressed and reclied. Togelher we
can acknowIedge lhe massive harms done, name racism as il
oerales lo hurl Nalive eoIes, arrange subslanlive Iand re-
lurn, honor lhe inherenl sovereignly and seIf-delerminalion
of Nalive eoIes, make reslilulion and rearalions, relurn lhe
biIIions of doIIars missing from lrusl funds lhal have been ac-
cumuIaling from lhe while use of Nalive resources (lhe 2u1u
CobeII sellIemenl did nol begin lo reay whal was sloIen), re-
seclfuIIy cease behaviors lhal denigrale Nalive eoIes (such
as using lhem as sorls mascols), and leach everyone lhe fuII
hislory of lhis Iand.
These sles of heaIing juslice give us an agenda lo work on,
yel we do nol have lo wail for IocaI, slale, (coutiuuco ou ogc )
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nn1`s o1 rnIn: TnIs vnnnsL wns u11LnLu
daiIy by many of lhe sludenls in OakIand`s
ubIic schooI syslem. Even when lhey were
caughl in an acl lhal vioIaled schooI ruIes,
sludenls did nol readiIy lake resonsibiIily
for lheir aclions. They were simIy Iaying lheir roIe in our
unilive syslem, in which mosl sludenls lend lo bIame olhers
ralher lhan accel lhe consequences for lheir behavior. Our
search for ways lo change lhis aradigm Ied us lo exIore lhe
raclice of resloralive juslice.
Trainin to Chane the System
DunIo 1nL rnLL or 2uu, I (RI1n) wns LHvLovLu nv 1nL
OakIand Unied SchooI Dislricl as a case manager working
wilh sludenls and lheir famiIies who were referred for
exuIsion. As case managers wilh backgrounds in counseIing
and menlaI heaIlh, we were charged wilh nding aIlernalives
lo susensions and exuIsions. In December 2uu, I was
mandaled lo allend a four-day lraining on resloralive juslice,
organized by a IocaI communily agency, Resloralive Juslice
for OakIand Youlh. The lraining was faciIilaled by Roca, a
youlh deveIomenl agency from CheIsea, Massachusells.
Afler comIeling lhe lraining, I was assigned lo CoIe
MiddIe SchooI and worked cIoseIy wilh lhe rinciaI and
assislanl rinciaI as a case manager for lhe schooI`s PuiI
DisciIinary Hearing PaneI. The adminislralors and I
had severaI conversalions aboul sludenl susensions and
exuIsions and Iamenled lhal lhe chiIdren relurned lo
schooI showing no behavior changes. Il was a vicious cycIe,
an unending revoIving door. This silualion exacerbaled lhe
aIready chaolic schooI cuIlure of ghls and deance.
My job was lo creale a aradigm shifl wilhin lhe schooI
conlexl by inlroducing resloralive juslice as an aIlernalive lo
lhe lradilionaI disciIine syslem. Afler my lraining wilh Roca,
I relurned renewed and ready lo lry lhis new way of working
wilh sludenl vioIalions. The rinciaI, having had severaI
years of exerience as an assislanl rinciaI, agreed lhal
susensions and exuIsions did nol work lo change sludenl
behavior. Togelher, we began lhe resloralive juslice journey
al CoIe.
Year One: Brinin Teachers On Board
I nLon 1nL nLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL Luucn1IonL vnocLss nv
offering suorl meelings for leachers lo venl and reecl on
Shifling SchooI
CuIlure
by Rila AIfred and Ina Bendich
Bito Alf:co ouo Iuo cuoich o:c co-fouuoc:s of thc Bcsto:otiuc Justicc T:oiuiug Iustitutc iu thc Sou I:oucisco o A:co. Thc :ouioc t:oiuiugs
ouo cousult uith schools iutc:cstco iu iulcucutiug :csto:otiuc justicc :octiccs to builo ositiuc school cliuotcs. Thc o:c olso ocoicotco to
cliuiuotiug thc school-to-:isou icliuc th:ough :cucutiug ouo/o: uitigotiug thc ho:uful cffccts of uuishucut ouo :c:o tolc:oucc iu schools.
Ho:sh school oisciliuc o:iucs uou stuocuts iuto juucuilc ouo
ooult :isous. Stuocuts illust:otco thc school-to-:isou icliuc
ot o Bc:cscutiug thc Picliuc cucut iu Chicogo iu Jul 2u1u. Scc
suscusiousto:ics.cou.
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lheir exeriences wilh lhe sludenls in lhe cIassroom. Many of
lhem were in lheir rsl year, and cIassroom managemenl was
eseciaIIy chaIIenging. I buiIl cIose reIalionshis wilh severaI
leachers and offered assislance lo lhem in lheir cIassrooms
whenever I couId.
In Augusl of 2uu6, afler severaI Ianning meelings wilh
lhe rinciaI, we Iaunched a year of lraining for lhe leachers.
We unearlhed conicls among slaff and used lhe resloralive
juslice rocess lo work lhrough lhem. Al lhe same lime I was
faciIilaling resloralive circIes wilh sludenls and disciIine
conferences wilh sludenls, famiIies, adminislralors, and
leachers when needed. We slarled oul wilh a lwo-day lraining
in Augusl, negolialed a monlhIy slaff lraining using lhe rocess,
a foIIow-u lwo-day lraining in November, and anolher foIIow-
u lwo-day lraining in lhe sring.
The slaff buiIl a cIoseness and wiIIingness lo work lhrough
differences. By lhe end of lhal year, lhe majorily of lhe aduIls
al CoIe were ready lo bring lhis new raclice lo lhe sludenls
and lheir famiIies. We exerienced some good resuIls in lhe
firsl year. a reduclion in fighls, susensions, and referraIs
for exuIsion. We aIso saw cIose lo 1uu ercenl relenlion of
leacherslhis was unrecedenled as lurnover was usuaIIy
around u ercenlwilh jusl one leacher Ieaving for higher
sludies. And we aII exerienced a more osilive schooI cuIlure.
Year Two Onward: Students Take It On
I 2uu, wL co1IuLu wI1n n II1InL 1wo-unv 1nnIIo
for slaff in Augusl, monlhIy resloralive juslice slaff meelings]
lrainings, and a one-day lraining in lhe sring. A leacher and
I laughl a resloralive juslice eIeclive cIass for eighlh-grade
sludenls. Sludenls from lhis cIass resenled a resloralive
juslice worksho al lhe annuaI middIe schooI conference.
Teachers and adminislralors referred cases lo lhe resloralive
juslice rocess. Many of lhese cases were resoIved successfuIIy.
Iighls were down again, and fewer sludenls were referred
for exuIsion. In 2uu8, our rinciaI Iefl lhe area and a new
rinciaI came on board. The leachers and I were on lhe
hiring commillee and were abIe lo garner a commilmenl from
lhe new rinciaI for lhis heaIing work lo conlinue al CoIe. He
was enlhusiaslic aboul lhe rocess.
Sludenls idenlified lhe resloralive juslice rocess as
fair, and wilh some encouragemenl, many admilled when
lhey did somelhing wrong. Susensions feII by 8, ercenl.
Sludenls conlinued lo embrace lhese raclices in high schooI.
lheir rinciaI noliced lhal CoIe sludenls acluaIIy acceled
resonsibiIily when lhey commilled harm and execled aduIls
lo incIude lhem in lhe resloralion rocess.
Perhas lhe mosl rewarding arl of lhis work arose when
lhe CoIe sludenls moved on lo high schooI. In 2uu, lhe
Iarger comrehensive schooI, McCIymonds High, was broken
inlo lwo smaII schooIs. Thus CoIe sludenls had lhe olion
lo choose belween BEST, which offered an enlrereneuriaI
lrack, and EXCEL, which offered a Iaw and inlernalionaI
lrade lrack. The EXCEL Law Academy direclor soIiciled CoIe
sludenls. Her Ian was lo incororale resloralive juslice inlo
a youlh courl rogram lhal had reviousIy handIed leacher
and adminislralor referraIs using lhe lradilionaI adversariaI
rocess. Wilhin lhree lo four weeks, CoIe sludenls were
acliveIy faciIilaling resloralive juslice circIes based on referraIs
submilled by leachers and adminislralors.
These sludenls nol onIy handIed confIicls lhal arose
belween olher sludenls, lhey were aIso abIe lo manage
A ci:clc uccts ot Colc Mioolc School iu Ooklouo, Colifo:uio. Thc :csto:otiuc justicc ilot :og:ou ot Colc, uhich Bito Alf:co coo:oiuotco,
uos so cffcctiuc iu :couciug suscusious, caulsious, ouo uiolcucc thot stoff ot obout tucut schools sought t:oiuiug ouo ossistoucc to b:iug
:csto:otiuc :octiccs to thci: sitcs. Iu lo:gc o:t ouc to thcsc cffo:ts, iu Jouuo: 2u1u, Ooklouo's school boo:o ossco o :csolutiou oootiug
:csto:otiuc justicc oist:ict-uioc os offciol olic.
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confIicls among lhemseIves. One aflernoon, a former CoIe
sludenl was engaged in a verbaI ballIe wilh anolher sludenl
lhal lhrealened lo become hysicaI. This incidenl look Iace in
fronl of lhe rinciaI`s ofce when lhe Law Academy direclor
haened uon lhe scene. She ul her hand on lhe shouIder
of lhe CoIe sludenl, and reminded her lhal she knew whal lo
do. AImosl immedialeIy, lhe sludenl sloed and, wilh her
eer, resonded lo lhe famiIiar series of queslions osed by
lhe aduIl. This resloralive conversalion kel bolh sludenls
from receiving a susension once lhe rinciaI became aware
of lheir wiIIingness lo soIve lhe robIem conslrucliveIy.
Lessons Learned Ior Restorative
Justice in Schoo|s
RLs1onn1IvL 1us1IcL Is n vnILosovnv nu sL1 or vnnc1IcLs
lhal move us from being unilive loward someone who has
done somelhing wrong lo being recelive and conslruclive
whiIe hoIding lhe erson accounlabIe. Il firsl began in lhe
juveniIe juslice syslem, bul in lhe Iasl fifleen years, schooIs
have begun lo adol ils rinciIes and raclices. SchooIs have
found lhal for lhese lo effecliveIy heI sludenls lo change
lheir behavior, raclilioners need lo buiId a wider cuIlure lhal
can suorl lhe changes in behavior lhal sludenls are lrying
lo Iearn. We aIso found lhal sludenls need lo be suorled
afler exeriencing lhe raclice. Hence resloralive juslice
encomasses lhe inlervenlion and aIso lhe communily-
buiIding and cuIlure change necessary lo rovide lhe caring
condilions in which change can be made and re-inlegralion
can occur.
In many schooIs, some slruclures aIready exisl lo suorl
a cuIlure of caring. Many schooIs imIemenl Second Sle,
Too Good for VioIence, Too Good for Drugs, and Tribes
rograms lhal assisl in buiIding a foundalion of caring
and heI sludenls and aduIls work coIIaboraliveIy lo soIve
robIems and resoIve confIicls. ConfIicl medialion, viclim-
offender diaIogue rograms, and youlh courls are aIso in Iace
lo correcl wrongdoing, in addilion lo slruclures such as schooI
suorl leams, schooI allendance review leams and review
boards, arenl]leacher conferences, and case managemenl,
which bring eoIe invoIved in a sludenl`s Iife logelher lo heI
lhe sludenl. These slruclures may or may nol be resloralive.
Being resloralive is many lhingsil is hoIding onlo ouo
:octiciug vaIues lhal romole ideaIs such as incIusiveness,
resecl, resonsibiIily, honesly, comassion, Iove, oen-
mindedness, kindness, and consensus-based decision-making.
Il is a way of being in reIalionshi wilh aII eoIe and, in some
cuIlures, being in reIalionshi wilh aII lhings, incIuding nalure
and olher animaIs. Thus resloralive raclices embody many of
lhe ideaIs of reIigious and moraI lhoughl.
Juslice, on lhe olher hand, allends lo lhe harm caused.
Juslice occurs when eoIe who have been harmed can
ask for whal lhey need and gel whal lhey need lo move on.
Juslice occurs when lhose who were harmed are aIIowed lo
communicale lhe imacl of lhe harm lo lhe erson who
harmed lhem and finaIIy feeI lhal lhey have heaIed. Juslice
occurs when eoIe who have caused harm reaIize whal lhey
have done, feeI remorse, discover lhe underIying causes lhal
Ied lhem lo commil lhe harmfuI acls, heaI, and are molivaled
lo lake aclions lhal begin lo righl lhe wrong and finaIIy lo
romise lhal lhey wiII nol cause such harm again.
Juslice occurs when lhe communily gels invoIved whenever
harm haens lo anyone wilhin lhe communily and assisls
bolh lhe erson harmed and lhe erson who caused lhe harm.
Il is lhe communily`s resonsibiIily lo adol aIicabIe Iessons
from each silualion inlo daiIy inleraclions among communily
members.
ImIemenling resloralive juslice in schooIs wiII require
recrealing our cuIlure and how we inleracl wilh each olher.
Resloralive juslice and many of lhe slruclures and rograms
menlioned offer some ways lo relhink and buiId on lhe caring
cuIlure lhal aIready exisls. This wiII require laking a hard Iook
al lhe way we o:c in our schooIshow we behave, how we
lhink aboul harm, how we hoId and share ower, and how we
shifl exisling raclices lhal undermine lhe cuIlure of caring
and accounlabiIily lhal we are advocaling. This lakes lime and
invoIves a rocess of inquiry lhal we are jusl now embarking
on al lhe dislricl IeveI.Q
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stuocut ot thc Bc:cscutiug thc Picliuc cucut.

Tikkun - Restorative Justice 16

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