So, the culture of permanently throwing people away continues. It is not just the extremist right, it is the progressives, as well. How many progressive feminists love SVU? this is a show that utilizes false belief to demonize people forever sending them to the margins. These progressives applaud this demonization and actually carry it out. We want football players fired for domestic violence. Yes, domestic violence is a horrible problem and needs to be dealt with and talked about. But to take away someones livelihood permanently is a crime in and of itself. We, as a species and more so as westerners, love to exile those who offend us. This is anti-community, exile is. No what we need is no retribution, which is just revenge, blood lust (a leg upon which our criminal justice system is based, the other is feudalism (you are property of the king(state)). The better way is restorative justice practices. In these practices a criminal offence is seen as a violation of another person causing that person harm. Also, when that harm is caused the community is injured as well in the form of a trust being broken. The current retributive system (which philosophy undergirds the trend to demonize and exile everyone for ever decreasing severity of offense) when you are harmed by another the state steps in in front of you claiming that it is really they who have been hurt and they will handle it for you. You become incidental to the process. I a restorative process you are honored as victim, your pain and hurt recognized and processes set in motion to restore you to wholeness (something completely lacking within the current retributive system (I know that there are NGOs and some agencies designed to help but these reside outside the justice system)). I have experienced all phases of the current criminal justice model. I have had jury trials, I have accepted plea agreements, have been on probation, in county jail, in state prison and parole. No where in any of the process did I ever have to face the harm I caused. People go through the current criminal justice system and NEVER face responsibility for their offences. Sure they are punished, but punishment can very often prevent one from facing the reality of their actions, as in my case. But in the Restorative model I face my victim and listen to how I harmed her and what restitution and/or other actions I need to do to help in her healing, the community is there to tell me how my actions harmed the community. I face my actions and the damage they have caused. A plan is then agreed upon for what actions I need to take, what programs I need to participate in in order to help me not reoffend. This leads to the victim moving from victimhood into survivourship. Helps the community mend. I get the services I need to become a productive member of the community and no longer a plight. This process is wholly dependent upon cooperation. The offender has to acknowledge her guilt to enter into the process. The victim needs to be willing without coercion to participate. The community needs to be willing to bring the offender back into the fold when she has completed her agreement. All parties need to be in agreement with the resolution or there is no agreement to proceed. Until this catches on we will still need jails and the current system for those incapable of accepting responsibility for their actions. We will also still need courts because 1% of all people found guilty or who plead guilty are actually innocent and we will need the forum for exoneration. Ultimately Restorative Justice practices will lead to healthy, cohesive communities rather than the fragmented ones we now have. Every time we exile someone permanently we contribute to the destability and fragmentation of our community. The better way is to seek healing to become a healthy community, something this century lacks.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 23:30:47 +0000
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