According to the National Reentry Resource Center, three quarters of a million state & federal prisoners were released in 2008 and this number is expected to grow. The obstacles to successful re-entry faced by these ex-prisoners are staggering. Some years ago Madison Area Urban Ministry developed a simulation exercise and a video to help us....
Full-spectrum peacemaking
If you want to read about conflict resolution, you have an abundance of choices. Similarly, there is a large and rapidly growing literature on restorative justice, on non-violent activism and on peacemaking in general. Numerous books analyze violence and its roots as well as the dynamics of power and privilege. Few attempt to bring these....
Photography at the healing edge
In previous posts I have discussed ways photography often contributes to “othering” and, conversely, the power it has to bring people together. A new organization, the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers, began as a group of photographers and designers “devoted to peacemaking & breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty of cultures around the world.” ....
Restorative justice, mediation and ADR
Restorative justice (RJ) is often associated with mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). I was reminded of this at the Conference of the European Forum for Restorative Justice in Bilbao, Spain, this spring. Victim offender “mediation” was the practice most commonly mentioned and the lines between ADR and restorative justice often seemed unclear. Confusion about....
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....