Apology Communication Family forgiveness news Restorative Justice Victims

New York Times Article Shows Why Restorative Justice is Needed

The February 5, 2012 New York Times article by Kovaleski et al, For Killers’ Families, Struggles With Shame, Silence and Fear http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/us/killers-families-left-to-confront-fear-and-shame.html?ref=us shows why we need restorative justice. The article describes how family members are also harmed by their loved one’s criminal behavior. It shows the need for restorative interventions that can help many families deal with the harm they suffer. The article describes how lawyer Nader Hasen, whose cousin is the psychiatrist from Ft.…

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Apology Victims

Restorative justice offers an opportunity, not a guarantee, for healing

“Not everyone’s wounds will heal” after being victimized by crime, an experienced judge says.  This is true.  Some people will never heal.  Restorative justice is not a panacea that will heal every single person’s wounds suffered from being a crime victim.  Restorative justice offers only the opportunity for healing, not a guarantee, but we know from an abundance of research that restorative justice helps many people. Currently our justice system primarily only offers crime victims…

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Apology Conflict Management Restorative Justice Victims

Howard Zehr’s List to Apply Restorative Justice in Our Lives

Professor and author Howard Zehr, commonly referred to as the grandfather of the modern restorative justice movement, has written a list of ten ways to live restoratively in his November 27, 2009 blog: http://emu.edu/blog/restorative-justice/2009/11/27/10-ways-to-live-restoratively/ Professor Zehr’s landmark book Changing Lenses is one of the first books I read about restorative justice about 15 years ago.  Since then I have referred it to anyone wanting to learn about restorative justice.  I have also used it as…

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Apology Restorative Justice Solution-Focused

www.apologyletter.com To Help Consider & Prepare a Meaningful Apology

In October 2009 Ben Furman, a psychiatrist from Finland, and the author of numerous books including the brilliant Solution Talk: Hosting Threaputic Conversations, with his colleague Ahola Tapani, and I, developed and made available, a free web site program: www.apologyletter.org. The simple program combines solution-focused brief therapy and restorative justice to provide a confidential program for considering what to address in forming a meaningful apology. No one escapes hurting others in life.  Whether done intentionally…

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Apology Restorative Justice Solution-Focused

Teaching Youth How to Make Apologies Using Restorative Justice Principles

Making effective apologies is a necessary skill.  Yet few of us know how to do it and most of us fail to teach our children how to make effective apologies.  Many of us think we can simply say, “I’m sorry,” or “Please forgive me.”  But often an apology requires that we do more.  Restorative justice principles provide ideal questions to ask others and ourselves when we need to make a meaningful apology. Ben Furman is…

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