American
society was founded with a commitment to justice. This commitment
is seen in our Declaration of Independence. It is further developed
in the Bill of Rights and in the Constitution of the United
States of America. Our history has been that of the broadening
out of the justice principles enshrined in these documents.
Still, we continue to wrestle with the question of what is justice.
The
global growth of interest in restorative justice has taken root
in some locations of the world as justice and new forms of community
have been sought following the end of colonialism. The discovery
or rediscovery in some national settings, of traditional ways
of dealing with crime and community harm has been a stimulus
to restorative justice thinking. Restorative justice challenges
what many have come to believe is the abstract nature of our
legal system and its often retributive cast. Restorative justice
has come to mean viewing crime, or harm done, through “a different
lens” in the words of Howard Zehr.
• What is
Restorative Justice?
•
Restorative
Justice Field Education Sites
Examples of BTI Field Education Sites under this category:
