What is Restorative Justice- Restorative justice is concerned with healing victims' wounds, restoring offenders to law-abiding lives, and repairing harm done to the community.
Offender’s Role
In the existing criminal justice system, offenders may play a passive role and not be held accountable to right the wrong they have committed. However, in the Restorative Justice process, offenders become active participants in reparation efforts. Offenders are held directly accountable to victims and are confronted with the personal impact of their crime. Restorative Justice requires them to make amends to the victim and community in whatever way possible.
It can help the criminal understand the impact of crime on victims, community, and society.
This requires the assumption that crimes or violations are committed against real individuals, rather than against the state. Restorative justice, therefore, advocates restitution to the victim by the offender rather than retribution by the state against the offender.
Through Restorative Justice, victims are offered opportunities to regain the sense of empowerment they may have lost as a result of crime. Victims can express how they were personally impacted by crime and their resulting needs.
The role of the community also changes dramatically with Restorative Justice. The community is responsible for supporting and assisting victims, holding offenders accountable and ensuring opportunities for offenders to make amends. Communities are also responsible for addressing the underlying factors and influences of crime. Also, that we must give offenders the opportunity to right their wrongs and redeem themselves, in their own eyes and in the eyes of the community.
RESOURCES
http://www.doc.state.mn.us/rj/publications/facilityrjgroupconf.htm
http://www.restorativejustice.org/
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Restorative+justice%3a+the+concept.(Restorative+Justice)-a020438182
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Crime in the area Sept 19, 09
SHOTS FIRED at BENEDICT & KICKAPOO ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3tmqMabout 1 hour ago from API
SHOTS FIRED at 507 W FORD ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sYJKabout 5 hours ago from API
SUSPICIOUS PERSON at 602 W KIRK ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sN5Gabout 7 hours ago from API
FOLLOWUP at 558 W KIRK ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sL3mabout 8 hours ago from API
SHOTS FIRED at 548 W KIRK SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sJzqabout 8 hours ago from API
MVA-NON-INJURY at KICKAPOO SPUR ST & KENNEDY SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3skgdabout 12 hours ago from API
ASSAULT at 1122 W WOOD ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3rIdkabout 18 hours ago from API
SHOTS FIRED at 507 W FORD ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sYJKabout 5 hours ago from API
SUSPICIOUS PERSON at 602 W KIRK ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sN5Gabout 7 hours ago from API
FOLLOWUP at 558 W KIRK ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sL3mabout 8 hours ago from API
SHOTS FIRED at 548 W KIRK SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3sJzqabout 8 hours ago from API
MVA-NON-INJURY at KICKAPOO SPUR ST & KENNEDY SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3skgdabout 12 hours ago from API
ASSAULT at 1122 W WOOD ST SHAWNEE http://is.gd/3rIdkabout 18 hours ago from API
Monday, September 14, 2009
New Mexican Drug laws
TRY TO KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF MEXICO DURING SCHOOL BREAKS! now not only can they get alcohol they can now take drugs legally.
Under siege by drug traffickers, Mexico took a bold and controversial step last week when it opted to no longer prosecute those carrying relatively small quantities of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Instead, people found with drugs for “personal and immediate use,” according to the law, will be referred to free treatment programs where they will be considered patients, not criminals.
This new Mexican law is part of a growing trend across Latin America to treat drug use as a public health problem and make room in overcrowded prisons for violent traffickers rather than small-time users.
Portugal's similar law defines personal use as the equivalent of what one person would consume over 10 days. Police confiscate the drugs and the suspect must appear before a government commission, which reviews the person's drug consumption patterns. Users may be fined, sent for treatment or put on probation.
Foreigners caught with drugs still face arrest in Portugal, a measure to prevent drug tourism. This should have been a consideration in Mexico as well.
Should America consider the same type of law? Would it keep people out of prison who really don't need to be there because of their addiction's? Who, really wants to quit doing drugs but can't because they cannot afford treatment?
The law allows the state police to arrest those with up to 1,000 times the personal consumption amounts, people who would be considered dealers. Anyone with larger amounts would be seen as trafficking drugs, and they would be handed over to federal authorities.
Under the new law, a police search that turns up a half-gram of cocaine, the equivalent of about four lines, will not bring any jail time. The same applies for 5 grams of marijuana (about four cigarettes), 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams of methamphetamine or 0.015 milligrams of LSD.
The Bush administration criticized a similar bill proposed in Mexico in 2006, prompting then-President Vicente Fox to send it back to Congress. But Washington has stayed quiet this time, praising Calderon for his fight against drug cartels -- a struggle that has seen some 11,000 people killed since Calderon took office in 2006.
Under siege by drug traffickers, Mexico took a bold and controversial step last week when it opted to no longer prosecute those carrying relatively small quantities of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Instead, people found with drugs for “personal and immediate use,” according to the law, will be referred to free treatment programs where they will be considered patients, not criminals.
This new Mexican law is part of a growing trend across Latin America to treat drug use as a public health problem and make room in overcrowded prisons for violent traffickers rather than small-time users.
Portugal's similar law defines personal use as the equivalent of what one person would consume over 10 days. Police confiscate the drugs and the suspect must appear before a government commission, which reviews the person's drug consumption patterns. Users may be fined, sent for treatment or put on probation.
Foreigners caught with drugs still face arrest in Portugal, a measure to prevent drug tourism. This should have been a consideration in Mexico as well.
Should America consider the same type of law? Would it keep people out of prison who really don't need to be there because of their addiction's? Who, really wants to quit doing drugs but can't because they cannot afford treatment?
The law allows the state police to arrest those with up to 1,000 times the personal consumption amounts, people who would be considered dealers. Anyone with larger amounts would be seen as trafficking drugs, and they would be handed over to federal authorities.
Under the new law, a police search that turns up a half-gram of cocaine, the equivalent of about four lines, will not bring any jail time. The same applies for 5 grams of marijuana (about four cigarettes), 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams of methamphetamine or 0.015 milligrams of LSD.
The Bush administration criticized a similar bill proposed in Mexico in 2006, prompting then-President Vicente Fox to send it back to Congress. But Washington has stayed quiet this time, praising Calderon for his fight against drug cartels -- a struggle that has seen some 11,000 people killed since Calderon took office in 2006.
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