1. What do we learn from these early pioneers about an event in the history of restorative justice that has not made it to the history books on restorative justice? Historical events, especially ones that do not make it to history books, hold a lot of information about the history of change and the challenges involved. The particular story shared in Chapter 2 shows us that some parts of the criminal justice system have resisted the change brought about by the restorative justice movement. The commissioner of corrections in Minnesota during 1973 fought against the benefits of approaching offender rehabilitation from the viewpoints of restorative justice. Righting this growth might have changed the career path of the individual involved, but it did not prevent
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An internet search related to the restorative justice program in the Minnesota Department of Corrections also doesn’t give any promising information. One noteworthy message at the top of the Minnesota DOC website on RJ was that the “page is archived material and is no longer updated. It may contain outdated information and broken links. The material presented on these pages is the product of five regional symposia held on restorative justice between June 1997 and January 1998” (http://www.nij.gov/topics/courts/restorative-justice/perspectives/pages/minnesota.aspx). Another part of the website notes that restorative justice focuses on the relationship between the “resident” and the community, providing opportunities for the offender to make amends for the harm that was caused. These concepts are more widespread, in my opinion, than what the book discussed in Chapter 1. The focus being placed on the community helps ensure that true and fair justice takes place, as opposed to what the victim alone may feel is fair based on their individual
An internet search related to the restorative justice program in the Minnesota Department of Corrections also doesn’t give any promising information. One noteworthy message at the top of the Minnesota DOC website on RJ was that the “page is archived material and is no longer updated. It may contain outdated information and broken links. The material presented on these pages is the product of five regional symposia held on restorative justice between June 1997 and January 1998” (http://www.nij.gov/topics/courts/restorative-justice/perspectives/pages/minnesota.aspx). Another part of the website notes that restorative justice focuses on the relationship between the “resident” and the community, providing opportunities for the offender to make amends for the harm that was caused. These concepts are more widespread, in my opinion, than what the book discussed in Chapter 1. The focus being placed on the community helps ensure that true and fair justice takes place, as opposed to what the victim alone may feel is fair based on their individual