Search results for category: Restorative SystemsIf the defendant is willing to explore his guilt up front, in an informal process that looks for ways to transform his guilt into some form of payback to his victim along with a just sanction, that process may give greater satisfaction to the victim and lead the offender to feel true remorse.
Later this year, LaDonna Heintzelman, of Midwest City, plans to attend the trial of the man charged with killing her 17-year-old son, Taylor. Last week, the Oklahoma Senate made it possible for families of murder victims to wear buttons
bearing photos of the deceased into the courtroom.
The governor has not yet taken a position on SB 868 but it appears veto-proof. Taylor's Law has drawn a loud and well justified wail from those who believe buttons and other victim memorabilia could prejudice a defendant's right to a fair trial. Objections do not come from detractors with little or no compassion for victims' families although that's how they've been characterized.
Four loyalist restorative justice schemes have been given official approval by the government. An inspection of the schemes run by Northern Ireland Alternatives found there was no evidence that they were a front for paramilitary groups.
Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo, writing in the Washington Post:
I hardly accept the familiar apologetic phrasing: “I’m sorry for whatever pain my remarks caused.” It is the perfect vehicle to shift any blame away from the perpetrator and on to the victims. The formula suggests that it is only because of a victim’s sensitivities that offense was created.
States that have recently offered an apology for slavery and the system of Jim Crow have only taken the first step toward healing the wounds of racial inequality, says a Duke University professor. There is an additional step that needs to be taken, which is restitution,” said William Darity Jr., whose areas of research include the economics of reparations.
Friction between cyclists and motorists is nothing new for the Durango area. However, a local conflict-resolution group is hoping to ease tension on the roads of La Plata County. This week, the Braided River Mediation Center will hold an event to address the continued conflict between road riders and motorists on local roads. Braided River is a nonprofit restorative justice center that provides free conflict-resolution services to Southwest Colorado. Among the group’s goals is helping the Durango community with its larger conflicts. The rub between road riders and drivers recently rose to the top of the group’s list of concerns.
For six-and-a-half years, Project Turnaround has put offenders before a community panel, outside the courtroom, and given them a chance to restore relationships and rehabilitate behaviour.
D, who plead guilty under an appeal waiver agreement, to infringing a Microsoft copyright, appealed the $322,000 restitution order, on ground that Microsoft suffered no loss. (D sold multiple counterfeit programs to one buyer, well below retail price, who detected the fraud, refused to pay, and contacted Microsoft. The buyer was not out of pocket, and Microsoft never lost a product nor was there proof of loss of sales. Loss was calculated as the same number of copies of the real deal at retail price).
What may be needed in Afghanistan is a transitional justice arrangement somewhat similar to South Africa. The ‘apartheid’ regime in South Africa was deeply rooted and from early 1960s until 1994, the country witnessed a deeply divided society on racial basis. The South African parliament enacted the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, which was to activate the amnesty provision agreed upon by the interim set up as well to create the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
It is not enough to say, however, that bishops, priests, and the church are finally getting what they deserve. The vengeance game is a dangerous one. When the original offense is terrible, we feel empowered to do terrible things in response. Blinded by our righteous rage and convinced of our moral superiority, we may do things we later regret.
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