Week 2 Student Replies

STUDENT REPLIES

STUDENT REPLY #1 Darlene Milan

According to the resources found in this week’s assignments, restorative justice emphasizes the importance of holding offenders responsible for the harm they have caused (Walden University). Therefore, based on these findings, they should be offered the opportunity to make amends. I believe that the offenders who have committed crimes such as misdemeanors, petty crimes, domestic violence, and even murder under certain circumstances should be eligible for this approach (Walden University). If there is a justice program that allows offenders to make amends with the victims, then I feel everyone should have the opportunity to do so. In the example resources, Jordan reminds me of my nephew, who could have benefited from this approach. It could have been the difference between him leaving a juvenile facility to spending numerous years in prison. Had he been offered this program, it could have positively affected his life, leading him down a different path as an adult.

According to the resources, “restorative justice makes sense in resolving some conflicts but not those involving sexual violence” (Walden University). Those who have been sexually assaulted have a different view on healing. In this instance, it states that the victim never feels safe and never feels that the apology is sincere. Our resources also state that any crime committed could participate in restorative justice (Walden University). I feel the crime that should not be available for restorative justice would be for those who commit mass murders. For example, the guy who went into the school with an assault weapon killed all those small innocent children. Those who go into churches and kill people just because they have a different belief system than theirs or because of racial prejudice. I stated this because I cannot phantom the criminal who would do such a thing having remorse in these pacific situations. In other words, I do not see where they could maintain a positive relationship with those of color, nationality, or religion (Walden University).

According to the resources, “there are three core elements of restorative justice, which are concepts of Encounter, Repair and Transform. Resources also discussed accountability competency development and community safety (Walden University). The main criteria will be whether the offender, victim, and community are willing to participate. All those impacted will have a voice in addition to those involved would need to see if the conflict can be resolved. I would make mental notes of questions such as would the victim be willing to take a chance on further disappointment in that the offender has no remorse? They would need voluntary participation, and socially, the offender would need to bear responsibility and desire help. In addition, they must accept blame for the harm they have caused, see firsthand those they have hurt, and actively take responsibility to make things right (Walden University). This method would allow them to repair the health and safety of family, friends, and others so they may be able to reintegrate back into the community. Transformation is a space where the victim can better understand why the crime happened in the first place. Then the process can be better faced and dealt with and help create a better environment for healthier and safe communities.

References

Centre for justice and Reconciliation. (2019a). Lesson 3: Programs. In Tutorial: Introduction to restorative justice. Retrieved from http://restorativejustice.org

Mangan, K. 2018, September 21). Why more colleges are trying restorative justice in sex-assault cases. Chronicle of Higher Education, 1.

Gravrielides, T. (2017). The victims’ directive and what victims want from restorative justice. Victims & Offenders, 12(1), 21-42. Doi.10 1080/15564886.2014.982778

PLEASE ANSWER BACK TO EACH STUDENT WITH THERE OWN OUTSIDE REFERNCE FOR EACH ONE AND ALSO PUT THEIR NAMES WITH EACH REPLY SO THAT I’M ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GOES WERE. ALSO, EACH ONE NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED WITH 150 TO 200 WORD COUNT EACH THANKS…

STUDENT REPLY

STUDENT REPLY #2 Dianna Chambers

To start, I do not believe that restorative justice should be based solely on the type of crime committed, although, there are some crimes that should eliminate a person from a restorative justice program. This who should be automatically eliminated include, pedophiles, serial killers or any person lacking empathy. When someone has zero empathy towards others, it does not matter how they are punished for their crimes or if they are forgiven for the crimes they commit, these individuals will most likely continue committing the same crimes or more severe or heinous crimes later. To add, pedophiles, serial killers and those lacking empathy should be taken off the streets and be locked in a prison cell or confined into a mental institution, which would be best for the community. However, for those who have stollen various items or money, caught with drugs, should be given the option of restorative justice. I do believe there should be a two-strike rule, if an individual commits the same crime or another crime two times, they should face some amount of jail time. I say two-strike rather than a three strike because restorative justice is their second chance to do better. The more chances a person has, the more likely they are to fall back into the same patterns with a false pretense that their crimes will never catch up and that they got away with the crime the first time around. However, there are several beneficial tools that can help in determining who is offered restorative justice rather than the current system.

When considering who is eligible for a restorative justice program, there are several factors to consider other than being capable of empathy, personality should also be a factor into the decision. There are several different types of personality tests that psychologists can utilize that would help determine the likely hood of a repeat offender, the level of empathy or sense of what is right and what is wrong. Some great tools to be used include “self-report measures, face validity and questionnaire designs” that help identify the personality of criminals (Robins et al., 2007). If any crime against another person is committed, they should be required to take several personality assessments to help ensure that they are of sound mind, empathize with the victims or their families, and feel remorse or guilt. Personality questionnaires can be used to gain knowledge over the type of person the criminal is and whether they are capable of empathy. This should be done before the victim is allowed to see their perpetrator and should also be informed if their perpetrator is lacking empathy before the two are able to speak to one another. If the victim has false expectations, then meeting with their perpetrator can cause more harm than good.

Citation:

Robins, R. W., Fraley, C. R., & Krueger, R. F. (2007). Handbook of Research Methods in personality psychology. Google Books. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XHwS3PU6uroC&oi=fnd&pg=PA224&dq=self-report%2Bmeasures%2Bin%2Bpsychology&ots=JDNjQ-XSYz&sig=t0XnxXActc_i5WO3KbRAHsUchmU#v=onepage&q=self-report%20measures%20in%20psychology&f=false