Restorative Justice – Page 4 – Restorative Justice & Other Public Health Approaches for Healing

Restorative justice helps us learn to be creative & become more resilient….

By Lorenn | January 10, 2010January 10, 2010 by Lorenn

A good article on how a Toronto business school is focusing on teaching students to be creative problem solvers was published in the New York Times January 10, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/business/10mba.html The article reminds me of how restorative justice and solution-focused thinking, which I think are public health approaches to problem solving, offer us the chance to learn to be more creative and resilient. Being creative feels much better than complaining and whining about the hardships…

Apology Conflict Management Restorative Justice Victims

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

By Lorenn | December 9, 2009December 9, 2009 by Lorenn

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…

Restorative Justice Solution-Focused Therapeutic Jurisprudence

New Book: “Solution-Focused Judging Bench Book”

By Lorenn | November 29, 2009November 29, 2009 by Lorenn

The Solution-Focused Judging Bench Book was written primarily by Michael King, an Australian law professor and former judge, and was published by The Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. The book describes how courts can apply therapeutic jurisprudence principals, which “concentrates on the law’s impact on emotional life and psychological well-being” in court hearings. Bench books are used by judges to manage courtrooms, and this one offers some simple suggestions for making court hearings more likely…

Apology Restorative Justice Solution-Focused

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

By Lorenn | November 18, 2009November 19, 2009 by Lorenn

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…

Restorative Justice schools

San Francisco School Board Supports Restorative Justice

By Lorenn | October 16, 2009January 2, 2010 by Lorenn

On October 13, 2009 the San Franciso Unified School District unanimously voted to “develop a plan designed to replace some student suspensions with more “restorative” repercussions.” Instead of simply suspending students who violate school rules, restorative interventions will be used. Restorative justice interventions are especially relevant and necessary for youth. Who can deny that childhood and teen years are a time of learning and discovery? We have “ages of maturity” like turning 18 and 21 in…

Restorative Justice Victims

Restorative Justice Protects Victims While Retributive Justice Seeks Revenge

By Lorenn | September 29, 2009April 3, 2010 by Lorenn

Restorative justice values the voice of victims and works to protects their rights. Another sad example of how our retributive justice system works to re-victimize victims, is the story of a woman whose voice was not heard or valued by the system. The woman was 13 years old in 1977 when charges were brought against movie director Roman Polanski for sexually assaulting her. Because Polanski fled the county before being sentenced for having sex with…

Apology Restorative Justice Solution-Focused

Teaching Youth How to Make Apologies Using Restorative Justice Principles

By Lorenn | September 27, 2009September 27, 2009 by Lorenn

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…

Inspiration prisons Restorative Justice

Staying the Course to Continue Providing Restorative Justice

By Lorenn | April 29, 2009May 25, 2009 by Lorenn

“We simply have got to stay and keep helping the people touched by these programs,” says Barbara Tudor with passion and zeal. When she says she is “staying” you know she means it. She is a sturdy sixty-ish woman with curly blond short hair and clear blue eyes. Most striking is her abundant energy, which could vie with the most active teenager. Tudor may also well be the longest working victim offender mediator in the…

prisons Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice: an Inoculator to The Lucifer Effect

By Lorenn | April 28, 2009April 28, 2009 by Lorenn

Professor Philip Zimbardo has written an indepth and important book, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. It is based on his experience running the prison experiment in 1971 at Stanford University where randomly selected students were chosen to be prison guards and imprisoned people. The study had to be abandoned in only a few days (and should have been earlier) because the guards became so cruel. Professor Zimbardo explains and provides lots…