Source: restorativeactionalliance.org In this webinar, author Leaf Seligman will delve into themes from her book, Being Restorative, sharing insights on: Learning to look for ourselves in others Engaging in communal and collective accountability Understanding that true change occurs in an uncondemned state Exploring the religious roots of restorative practices Who Should Attend: This event is ideal for religious leaders, educators, community organizers, mental health professionals, those impacted by the criminal legal system, and anyone interested in fostering a restorative culture. Featured Speaker: Leaf Seligman Leaf Seligman—an esteemed restorative practitioner, circle-keeper, educator,…
Read MoreTag: Restorative Justice
CA: Colleges experiment with restorative justice in sexual assault cases
Source: calmatters.org/ 12/28/22 When a sexual assault survivor walks into Alexandra Fulcher’s office at Occidental College, it’s the first step in a process fraught with consequences for both the survivor and the accused. If Fulcher, the school’s Title IX director, launches an official investigation, the survivor could be asked to recount their trauma and cross-examined about it in a live hearing. Their alleged assaulter could be expelled. But for the past year, survivors at Occidental have had another option. They can participate in a restorative justice conference with the person…
Read MoreMI: Washtenaw County’s sheriff criticizes those attacking former felons program
Source: wemu.org 11/7/22 Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton is calling out some people with political interests who are questioning county-funded programs that use former criminals to help prevent future crimes. One group in particular called “Supreme Felons” was targeted by some for having a registered child sex offender in the group, even though records show that individual was eliminated from the program before the partnership with the county began. In a recorded video, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton questioned these individuals’ commitment to restorative justice and to proven crime intervention…
Read MoreRestorative Justice for Sex Offenses? A Conversation About Possibilities [4/13/22 Webinar]
Webinar Topic: Restorative Justice for Sex Offenses? A Conversation About Possibilities Featuring Author Judith Levine & Social Worker Susannah Karlin Sponsored by the St. Francis College Departments of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and Women’s & Gender Studies April 13, 2022 at 9:20 AM PST, 12:20 pm EST You may attend online Zoom Livestream or You may attend in-person at: Maroney Theater St. Francis College 180 Remsen Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 Reception to Follow You must sign up to attend. Click here to sign up and to choose Zoom or in-person. About the…
Read MoreZoukis: What Biden can do about reducing repeat offenders
[yourvalley.net – 3/5/21] When the U.S. government initiated efforts in 2018 to reduce recidivism in federal prisons, the aim was to end the cycle that makes many inmates repeat offenders. To achieve that goal, inmates would engage in recidivism-reduction programs to earn increased good-conduct time. But the lofty objectives of the First Step Act, approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, still have a long way to go to live up to their potential, says Christopher Zoukis, author of the Directory of Federal Prisons and managing director of…
Read MoreLetter: Sex offenders are redeemable
[inforum.com – 3/4/21] The idea that sex offenders are irredeemable is a myth. Reason (magazine) reports that a repeat offense within a period of five years occurs only 7% of the time. About 100 U.S. teachers, mostly women, are charged with sex crimes each year, although many others go unreported. Affairs between teachers and students are becoming more common in both the U.S. and Europe, probably because the rise of social media has made communication easier and more private. In most of Europe, the age of consent is 14, while…
Read MoreIn Furor Over Poet With Child Porn Conviction, Prison Abolitionists Debate the Limits of Mercy
[theintercept.com – 2/14/21] Is Poetry magazine “platforming toxicity” or promoting the “practice of freedom”? A bedrock principle of the prison abolitionist movement is that you don’t ask an incarcerated person what they’re in for. It’s more than etiquette. To eschew the identity that the punitive state assigns — which could be false — is to see someone whole. “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done,” says Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson. Even a murderer is somebody’s baby. That’s the way guest editors Tara Betts, Joshua…
Read MoreCA: Program lets victims confront offenders
[avpress.com – 7/9/19] SACRAMENTO— California officials are experimenting with a new diversion program for criminals that includes allowing victims to directly confront their offenders. The budget that took effect July 1 includes $5 million to fund the program for five years in a county with a history of high crime, although it has been tried elsewhere and is more frequently used with juvenile offenders. The California program is for offenders of any age. It will pair victims and offenders before they are convicted, and offenders who complete the program can…
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