Christianity

Restorative Justice Week 2007 - "Facing the Questions"

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40 (The New International Version)

Restorative Justice - How Do We 'Love Our Neighbour'?

Obligations are created when someone has caused harm or failed to "love your neighbour as yourself". In the aftermath of a crime or destructive behaviour the question becomes how to address the harm and help prevent further harm from happening.

Restorative justice focuses on how we respond when we fail to love our neighbours. Those most affected by the harm need to find healing, those responsible for causing it need to demonstrate meaningful accountability and the community as a whole needs to participate in supporting the health, safety and security of all involved.

These kinds of goals cannot be achieved by retributive means or by causing pain for its own sake. Shifting the focus from blame and punishment to restoration of relationships encourages everyone to be accountable for their behaviour and to learn from its impact on others.

Questions for reflection:

• How do punishment and restorative justice fit with my Christian beliefs?
• When have I felt the desire for retribution or revenge?
• Are there people in my community whom I do not consider to be my 'neighbour'?

How Do We Love Victims 'as Ourselves'?

Restorative approaches place the needs of those who have been hurt at the centre of the process, empowering them - rather than the courts - to determine its pace, direction and desired outcome. They identify what support services and restitution they need and have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the person who hurt them. Often this leads them to experience some healing or closure.

The first and great commandment was to love, not to forgive. For some victims, choosing to let go of resentment and bitterness represents an important step toward healing. Forgiveness comes from the heart of a person when and if they want to explore it. They must both initiate and control this part of their journey. Restorative approaches can create an atmosphere in which forgiveness becomes possible, without creating an obligation to forgive.

Questions for Reflection:

• When I have been hurt, what have I needed??
• What does forgiveness mean to me??
• Have I ever been pressured by others to 'forgive and forget'?

But, Is Loving Offenders about Letting Them Off Easy?

Almost all people under court supervision (including those in prison) have lived on the margins of our communities and have faced significant disadvantages. Often society's failure to show love for them creates an environment in which crime is more likely to occur. For its part the legal system gives offenders little opportunity to understand the impact of their behaviour and to address effectively their underlying situation.

Restorative processes help communities hold offenders accountable for their actions. Most of those who agree to participate in them say that facing the person whom they hurt in a restorative setting was the hardest thing they had ever done, much harder than serving a prison sentence. Face-to-face accountability has great potential for changing behaviour. Restorative processes help communities hold offenders accountable for their actions. Most of those who agree to participate in them say that facing the person whom they hurt in a restorative setting was the hardest thing they had ever done, much harder than serving a prison sentence. Face-to-face accountability has great potential for changing behaviour. Written agreements arrived at through restorative processes require offenders to take action to address the harm they caused. This can take many forms, for example, by providing direct restitution, continuing in school, finding meaningful employment, addressing issues of addiction, receiving medical care and support.

Questions for Reflection:

• Am I willing to accept responsibility and make amends when I hurt others?
• Am I willing to take risks in showing love to those who have hurt me?
• Am I willing to speak out and defend the dignity and humanity of those on the margins, especially when the people there are hard to love?

Does Loving My Neighbour Restoratively Work?

Yes. Recent studies* show that restorative justice programs have had a significant positive impact on the safety, health and level of satisfaction of people in the communities in which they have been practiced. Victims are able to move on with their lives, offenders find redemption in accountability and new relationships, and communities achieve closure. For these and other reasons, restorative justice supporters across Canada include members of Christian and other faith communities, victims' advocates, the police and judiciary, the education system, community volunteers, and the Correctional Service Canada.

A prayer for justice:

• "Jesus, you were not, and even today are not, afraid to make us, your people, uncomfortable as you call us to be your light in the broken places where we live. You call us to grow and expand our vision and to live out your healing law of love. We are grateful, for you are with us always, and ready to give us the courage to open our hearts and the strength to respond by working together to build a world of justice and love through our healing actions. We open our hearts to hear your Word. We ask this of you, Risen Christ, you who give us hope. Amen."

(Please note: The text and questions in this leaflet are meant to serve as material for individual reflection and/or group discussion about the place of restorative justice within a Christian faith perspective.)

This material may also be adapted to suit your particular denomination.

*For recent research on restorative justice , please refer to: http://www.smith-institute.org.uk/pdfs/RJ_full_report.pdf

For material on restorative justice from Prison Fellowship: http://www.restorativejustice.org

For actual stories on how restorative justice works, and information on restorative justice week: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rj/rj2007/lett-eng.shtml

For faith community resources: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/chap/faith/index-eng.shtml

This leaflet was prepared by the Church Council on Justice and Corrections and representatives from supporting denominations in collaboration with the Correctional Service of Canada (ChaplaincyG@csc-scc.gc.ca).

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