Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice programs often bring offenders, victims, family members and other stakeholders in the society together to work through what happened, to identify the harm done and together to work out appropriate punishment and possible restitution. There have been examples of restorative justice style practices throughout history. As you’ll hear from some of our guests, many cite the talking circle model practiced by First Nation and Native American Communities as an inspiration for today’s restorative justice programs. Maybe the most well-known application of restorative justice practices in recent history has been the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission assembled in the mid- 1990’s in the aftermath of the abolition of apartheid. Although there were critics of the commission – which granted amnesty to about 1 in 10 offenders who went through the process, generally the TRC was thought of as successful in promoting honesty and healing in the country. But parts of the restorative justice practices have drawn criticism. Some say it trivializes crime, doesn’t reduce recidivism, and doesn’t do as much to restore and repair as it claims. Even those working in the field of Restorative Justice admit that it’s a work in progress, but as an addendum to what they see as a largely flawed criminal justice system, the practitioners of restorative justice are confident that it’s a model worth exploring. We explore two programs on today’s show, one that works with youth in Oakland, CA and one that for some years has been employed in Taos County in New Mexico.