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Toward a Positive Justice
By Kim Workman | February 10, 2009
“Most people think of justice as a public legal process which is concerned with fairness and equality of rights. For others, it is mainly about the punishment of offenders, and taking revenge for harm. Yet others think in terms of restoration of relationships between victims, offenders and the wider community. In Biblical times, the words “righteousness” and “justice” had virtually identical meanings, and were used interchangeably. They conveyed the idea of righting what has gone wrong, and of restoring things to the state of “shalom” or peace. But Shalom was about more than the negative absence of conflict or violence. It was the state in which there was a positive presence of harmony and wholeness, health and prosperity, of integration and balance. In shalom, peace and justice go together.” The five stories related in Newsletter # 53, all move toward achieving the state of “shalom” within our community. It assumes that offenders continue to be part of the community, even while incarcerated, and will eventually be reintegrated into the wider community. Is this the sort of justice we should be seeking in 2009? How can we best achieve it? Or are there other kinds of justice which will provide for a better community peace? Let’s have your views.”
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2 Responses to “Toward a Positive Justice”
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February 17th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Hi Kim
Yes, I agree that both the victim and the perpetrator of the crime, must be encouraged to meet one another face-to-face.
This is to permit the victim to air his or her grievance and offer forgiveness so as to release themselves from the prison of hatred and vengence.
This will also allow the perpetrator to face the consequences of his or her actions and to apologise and offer some kind of compensation if it was possible.
Regards
Ben Pan
April 19th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Hello. It seems that I agree with the sentiments and practical initiatives of the Rethinking Crime and Punishment organisation. However, after just reading the January post ‘Toward a positive justice’, I need to correct one thing. I am Jordan Herewini’s mother and he was not a ‘gang prospect’ as referred to in your post. He was associated with some who were either gang members or affiliates and he was at some points in his life attracted to that kind of lifestyle. He wanted much better for himself though, and he was on the verge of finding that. He was never a gang prospect and would never have joined a gang such as the one that killed him. He would never have been capable of such callous acts.
I hope one day to be able to contribute more to the debate over crime and punishment. Maybe when I am less raw.
Natalie Cowley