Portraits as vehicles for reflection and change?
“Gazing into one’s own eyes is an interesting experience. I’d think there could be great therapeutic value in having some conversations with oneself, someone who appears to be a sympathetic listener (provided by a sympathetic photographer). “ This was Phil Easley’s response after I posted his portrait montage on my photography website. I enjoy portraiture....
Taking stock of the restorative justice field
In their book Restorative Justice Dialogue: An Essential Guide for Research and Practice, Mark Umbreit and Marilyn Amour offer the equivalent of a state-of-the-union address for the restorative justice movement: a comprehensive overview and a stock-taking of the field as it has developed, as it currently exists, and what lies ahead. The timing is excellent.....
Retirement?
People have been asking whether I plan to retire in the near future. It’s a fair question: I turn 66 this July and indeed have been making noises about doing so. But retirement doesn’t quite fit my vision for the next year, nor does it fit my current plans. I intend to continue with the....
Parallel justice for victims of crime
My friend Susan Herman, formerly executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, has argued for years that victims will never receive justice until their needs are addressed, regardless of whether the person who committed the crime against them is ever identified or prosecuted. As the title of her new book puts it,....
Photographic Truth, Part II
Years ago I sold some photographs as stock photographs. I pretty much quit after my young daughter saw one of my photos in a book and pointed out that the focus of the book was contrary to my values. The problem was not just the lack of control I had over the way stock photographs....
The jail crisis – an opportunity
Like many communities, my own is facing a crisis in jail capacity resulting in pressures to build a larger institution. I was recently asked to serve on a local symposium panel about this issue but the report in the local paper did not accurately represent my emphasis. So I will lay it out and amplify....
Core capacities of restorative justice practitioners
In January a small group gathered in Seattle for several days of restorative justice dialogue and we’ve continued the discussion since then by email. (The participants are listed below.) One of the questions raised was what we considered to be the core capacities of effective restorative justice practitioners. Aaron Lyons, a practitioner in Vancouver and....
Photographic truth and documentary photography
Does a photograph represent “truth?” What makes it truthful? When is it untruthful? If it does convey truth, whose truth is it? These questions have been with photography since its origins. They have become more pressing with the advent of digital photography and the ease with which a digital image can be manipulated. They are....
10 steps to resisting personal cooptation
In my previous entry I noted that Philip Zimbardo, in his book The Lucifer Effect, suggests “A Ten-step Program to Resist Unwanted Influences.” Because this has generated interest I will list his 10 steps below. These are in the form of personal commitments. For his explanation of each see pp. 451-456. 1. “I made a....