Two Events To Mark Restorative Justice Week
This year International Restorative Justice Week will be held 15th to 22nd November 2015, with two events on the local calendar.
“Restorative justice [RJ] is a philosophy and an approach that views crime and conflict as harm done to people and relationships. It emphasizes healing for victims, the accountability of offenders and involves citizens in creating healthier, safer communities,” a spokesperson said.
“The goal is to reach meaningful, satisfying, and fair outcomes through inclusion, open communication, and truth.
“The main purpose of Restorative Justice Week is to educate the public and community decision-makers about the benefits of restorative models of justice. Restorative practices are more effective than punitive models to heal people and are effective wherever human discord arises.
“The social harms Bermuda has been experiencing for generations need to be addressed in new ways. Restorative practices build a caring culture that values accountability as well as healing.
“Despite their best efforts, our services and agencies struggle to resolve intergenerational trauma and the current socials problems caused by bullying, gangs, drugs and violence.
“As a result, our communities lack cohesion and countless relationships remain fractured. The need for community restoration is critical.
“We encourage our leaders to examine the restorative approach which is built on the values of empathy, respect, honesty, acceptance, responsibility and mutual accountability.
To mark the week The Dept of Corrections, Prison Fellowship and CURB are offering two presentations as follows:
Tuesday 17th November at Cathedral Hall 6:00 – 8:30 pm:
- Restorative Justice in Action: Healing our Community – A public meeting offered by Dept of Corrections in partnership with Bermuda Police Service and Prison Fellowship Bermuda. Come and hear how opportunities are being created to reduce the harm caused by crime and to bring healing to those involved.
Wednesday 18th November 12:30 pm – 2 pm:
- Presentation to the Bar Association by Lynne Winfield and Davina Aidoo, who will be providing an overview of restorative justice with particular focus on the judicial system in Bermuda.
Eff CURB and their restorative “justice”. They’re just making excuses for crime. The rest of us are fed up with being lenient to criminals.
Please come and learn about Restorative Justice. It’s not about the criminals. It’s about victims. Restoring the victim to a place before they were harmed. Or trying to, anyway.
Looking forward to restorative justice for all the human rights atrocities committed against people due to the failed and hypocritical “war on some drugs”.