Ross London, in his recent book, Crime, Punishment and Criminal Justice – From Margins to Mainstream, argues that much of the identity crisis of the RJ field has been caused by the misguided notion of a “paradigm shift” popularized by my colleague Howard Zehr, one of the founding voices in the RJ movement, in his [...]

  I am pleased that my friend and colleague Carl Stauffer has agreed to co-author this blog with me.  Carl has brought new wisdom, insights and energy to our program and will be providing academic leadership in restorative justice now that I’m semi-retired.  I have invited Carl to introduce himself below. – Howard   I [...]

In an earlier blog entry I discussed the importance of metaphor and promised to say more about how this applies to justice. Here, finally, are more thoughts on metaphors and justice. The following points are inspired by James Geary’s book, I Is An Other:  The Secret Life or Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way [...]

Webinar: Does Restorative Justice Need Forgiveness?: A dialogue with Sujatha Baliga On January 5, The New York Times Magazine carried a story about the use of a restorative conference in a murder case in the early stages of the legal process, prior to a plea. The case was also highlighted on theToday Show a few days later. The story was [...]

I realize that a new blog entry is overdue, and that the following does not get me off the hook, but here is an announcement. Our program is launching a new series of restorative justice webinars entitled Real World Restorative Justice. The first four will be free and I will be hosting most of them. [...]

Our metaphors matter – in photography and in justice As a photographer, I’ve often reflected on how frequently photographs serve to divide rather than create connections between people.  It is so tempting to emphasize the “otherness” of subjects rather than what we have in common.  As a result, photographs often leave subjects feeling degraded and [...]

The following is an invited guest post by my friend, colleague and fellow Morehouse College grad, David Anderson Hooker. I have good news and bad news for the family and supporters of Trayvon Martin: The ‘justice’ you seek is not in the system from which you seek it!  If this sounds like a Jedi mind [...]

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a friend of some 20 years.  Tyrone Werts is a wise man, a leader, an inspiration to many, who has spent years organizing and helping to sustain others.  He has long been actively engaged in efforts to reduce violence in society. Tyrone Werts, early 1990s [...]

As a response to earlier blog entries, Jon Kidde developed an RJ continuum and set of principles or indicators.  With his permission, I am posting them as a guest entry.   Jon welcomes feedback on these. To see a larger version of the continuum, click here. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: principles and indicators Engagement Involve those impacted/affected, [...]

Is a victim of crime who values restorative justice welcome in the restorative justice community only if s/he “works for” forgiveness? How is a victim of crime who believes in healing for both victim and offender, but continues to struggle with her/his understanding of justice, supported by restorative justice groups and associations?  Are victims invited [...]