· Restorative justice views accountability as taking personal responsibility for behavior -- acknowledging the wrong done, taking action to repair the harm to the degree possible and making changes to avoid such behavior in the future. Remember when you were a child and you broke a neighbor's window? What did you have to do? Two things: 1) knock on the door and tell them you broke the window, and 2) earn the money to pay for the window. Which of these was the hardest? Facing the neighbor to take responsibility. That's the sense of accountability in restorative justice.
· Restorative justice is in many ways a common sense approach. Most of us have stories of experiences in childhood of having to face the one we've harmed and then make amends.
· Restorative justice can be practiced in jails and prisons, in the community, in the workplace and in our families.
· Respect – given and received is the foundation of a restorative approach.
· Restorative justice emphasizes mutual responsibility, which is the foundation of the human community. Individuals are accountable for their choices and must take responsibility for harmed caused to others. At the same time the community is responsible to nurture the well being of all its members, including offenders.
· Restorative justice does not mean that everyone can be free in the community, but does require that the community take responsibility for its members who need to be held in a secure facility.
· Crime can be an opportunity to bring people together in a way which strengthens the community – by creating new positive relationships in the community, increasing community skills at problem solving, increasing commitment to the common good and strengthening informal safety nets for victims and offenders.
· Restorative justice requires a partnership of the community and the formal justice system with key leadership coming from the community.
· Communities and families have more power to shape behavior than prosecutors, judges or probation and prison staff.
· A healed offender with good connections in the community is a safer neighbor.
· A community that does not walk away from uncomfortable situations, but works through them in a respectful way is a safer community.
· Restorative justice is about working out the problem of crime in a good way -- a way that promotes healing for everyone.
· Restorative justice is open to new and creative forms designed by communities for themselves.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN LOUISIANA METHODISM
Seeking to be faithful to our heritage as Methodists and John Wesley's concern for ministry to prisoners and in response to Jesus' words in Matthew 25, the Louisiana Annual Conference has appointed a Coordinator of Restorative Justice and a Restorative Justice Committee to help us focus on this area of concern. In 2000, Rev. John R. Johns became Coordinator of Restorative Justice for the Louisiana Annual Conference.
Restorative justice is involved with the victim, the offender and the community. There is much to be done and we have only begun to scratch the surface. United Methodists, working in conjunction with other denominations, are involved in ministries to respond to these needs.
We are involved with Kairos, which is a weekend ministry to incarcerated adults in which they are shown unconditional love and acceptance. Another ministry in which we are involved is Kairos Outside. This too is a weekend experience for women who have a loved one incarcerated. Oftentimes these women feel isolated, rejected and desperate. Through a weekend of love and acceptance and an encounter with other women who are experiencing the same thing, they find hope and support. Epihany is a weekend experience for incarcerated youth in which they experience agape love and acceptance and shown how worthwhile they are. It is an effort to turn around their lives so that they will not progress in crime, but find an alternative and hope for a better future. GRACE Camp is a five-day camp for children who have a parent who is incarcerated. Statistics show that these children have a 85-90% chance of becoming involved in crime and becoming incarcerated themselves if some kind of intervention is not made. We try to show them there is a better way as they experience love, acceptance and understanding. We join with other denominations in giving to the Prison Chapel Fund which seeks to build chapels on the grounds of prisons to provide a place apart to worship and experience God's love.
Disciple Bible Study is being introduced into prisons and facilitators and incarcerated are being blessed and growing in their faith. United Methodist Women across the state are participating in the Restorative Justice Study that was one of their mission studies last year. They are becoming informed and involved in restorative justice. United Methodists participate in the Louisiana Restorative Justice Task Force, which is made up of various groups including academic, judicial, law enforcement, clergy and also the Louisiana Interchurch Conference Criminal Justice Committee. We are also involved with some Aftercare Ministries to assist individuals when they are released from prison.
Plans for the future include a weekend experience for correctional officers, chaplains and wardens, Redemption Church for released offenders and their families, formation of a Victims' Assistance Program.
To further the work of restorative justice, we need the help of many. If you are interested in being involved, or if you or your church are already doing a ministry in restorative justice, we would like to know about it. You may contact John Johns at johns@centurytel.net. We solicit your prayers and your service in this ministry.
WE NEED YOU During World War II and to a lesser degree in other times since that we were in conflict, we have been confronted with posters with Uncle Sam pointing to us saying, “Uncle Sam Needs You”.
This is true for us in the church. Ministry to those broken by crime, both offenders and victims of crime, needs you.. Kairos, Kairos Outside, Epiphany, G.R.A.C.E. Camp, ministry to victims, mentoring formerly incarcerated people – all are highly labor intensive. We need a lot of Christians who will share their faith with people who need love, who need Christ.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MINISTRY NEEDS YOU!!
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