Restorative Justice Approach and Strategies
Formulate a 750- to 1,000-word response to the case study that addresses the following:
Provide an argument for why a restorative justice approach would be appropriate given what you know about Jordan, the crimes he committed, and Emma.
How did the crimes affect Emma? Be specific.
Which restorative justice strategies would you recommend to ensure that Jordan provides sufficient accountability and repairs harm to Emma? Why?
To what degree are Jordan and Emma good candidates for a face-to-face meeting?
If you were the facilitator of a meeting between Jordan and Emma, how would you prepare for and guide the meeting? What would be the desired outcomes of the meeting and why? What issues or challenges might arise during the meeting?
Be sure to reference the course readings and examples from the case study to support your responses.
Learning Resources:
Required Readings
Centre for Justice and Reconciliation. (2019a). Lesson 3: ProgramsLinks to an external site.. In Tutorial: Introduction to restorative justice.
Gavrielides, T. (2017). The victims’ directive and what victims want from restorative justiceLinks to an external site.. Victims & Offenders, 12(1), 21–42.
Mangan, K. (2018, September 21). Why more colleges are trying restorative justice in sex-assault casesLinks to an external site.. Chronicle of Higher Education, 1.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (n.d.-b). Balanced and restorative justice practice: Accountability. In Guide for implementing the balanced and restorative justice model.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (n.d.-d). Balanced and restorative justice practice tools. In Guide for implementing the balanced and restorative justice model.
Note: Focus on Table 6.
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (n.d.-f). Role changes in balanced and restorative justice. In Guide for implementing the balanced and restorative justice model.
Pavelka, S., & Thomas, D. (2019). The evolution of balanced and restorative justiceLinks to an external site.. Juvenile & Family Court Journal, 70(1), 37–58.
Sottile, L. (2015, October 5). Abuser and survivor, face to face. The Atlantic.
Van Camp, T. (2016). Understanding victim participation in restorative practices: Looking for justice for oneself as well as for others. European Journal of Criminology, 14(6), 679–696.
CNN. (n.d.). The redemption project with Van JonesLinks to an external site..
Restorative Forum. (2015, May 14). A restorative justice meeting (short version)Links to an external site. [Video file].
INTRODUCTION
It is 4:38 p.m. on a cold January day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Emma, a 34-year-old fifth-grade teacher, exits the elementary school where she works to a nearly empty parking lot. As she approaches her car, she unlocks the doors with the key fob and places her laptop and purse in the back seat. She walks around to the driver’s side, opens the door, and gets in. Before she can close the door, two people approach her. One is a 15-year-old teenager named Dante, and the other is a 21-year-old adult named Jordan. Dante yells, “Give me the keys or you’re dead.” Emma initially protests but then notices that Jordan has a gun. Jordan becomes impatient and hits Emma in the head with the gun. Dante and Jordan pull the disoriented and bleeding Emma out of the car and onto a nearby grassy area. Then they speed away in her car.
Emma, who was introduced in Week 1, has just been carjacked by Dante and Jordan.
Within a few minutes, a man walking home from work sees Emma bleeding in the parking lot and calls 911. Emma is transported to the nearest hospital, where her injuries are treated. After being released from the hospital, Emma has chronic headaches and finds it difficult to concentrate. She is also in debt due to medical bills and car repairs. While Emma is angry about the crime, she also realizes how easy it is for young people to become involved in criminal activity.
Dante is arrested and charged with second-degree assault and armed carjacking. His case is pending in juvenile court. Jordan is arrested, charged with possession of a firearm with the intent to injure, aggravated assault, and armed carjacking. He has two prior convictions, one for possession of opioids with intent to distribute when he was 15 and one for breaking and entering when he was 17. Jordan dropped out of school at 16, has never been employed, and is currently addicted to opioids. In court, he pleads guilty to the crimes and expresses a strong desire to change. The judge sentences him to 3 years of probation with the option to suspend the sentence if he participates in a restorative justice program.
Restorative Justice
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Restorative Justice
Introduction
Restorative justice prioritizes accountability, reparation, and offender rehabilitation over punishment, changing the criminal judicial system. This new approach examines Jordan, a young offender, and Emma holistically and empathically. Restorative justice repairs the offender's harm rather than punishing them. Open dialogue between victim, perpetrator, and community promotes reconciliation. Jordan must accept responsibility, grasp the consequences, and openly apologize to Emma. This strategy helps Jordan and Emma heal, mature, and reintegrate into society, creating a more compassionate and effective justice system that tackles the immediate transgression and prevents future offenses.
Argument for a Restorative Justice Approach
There are many reasons to use restorative justice in Jordan. Jordan, a young first-time adult offender who wants to change, demonstrates that rehabilitation is possible. The individual's prior convictions for drug possession, breaking, and entering can be interpreted as a reflection of their difficult upbringing rather than an inherent predisposition towards criminal behavior (Pavelka & Thomas, 2019). Jordan's inclination to engage in a restorative justice program indicates a preparedness to assume accountability for his behaviors and seek reparation.
The inherent characteristics of the offense, encompassing the act of carjacking and assault, afford Jordan a unique opportunity to comprehend the profound significance of his deeds, demonstrate empathy towards the victim, and actively engage in facilitating the inflicted pain. Engaging him in a therapeutic process can promote the cultivation of a feeling of accountability and foster his personal growth and rehabilitation.
Impact on Emma
Emma was deeply affected by Jordan and Dante's crimes. Fifth-grade teacher Emma was carjacked and left physically and emotionally traumatized. The crime caused physical injuries and chronic headaches that have hampered her daily life. Medical bills and car repairs strain her finances. Emma is anxious, unable to concentrate at work, and afraid after witnessing violence and having a gun pointed at her during the carjacking. The incident may traumatize her future interactions with youth and her job performance. Emma has significantly suffered emotionally and financially, making a vital approach essential to her healing.
Recommended Restorative Justice Strategies
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