Restorative Justice Week 2009

Becoming a Community of Reconciliation: a True Story
Carol Smith

This story began with a specific need of one inmate, a lifer. Derrick's need: to bridge the gap between life in the institution and life in the community, following many years in prison. "No man is an island" - as human beings we need community, we need to belong. This story is about how one community undertook extra efforts to understand and participate in the process of reintegration for an inmate and how the process expanded to become something very special.

As facilitator of St. Luke's Renewal Centre at Springhill Institution, a medium security prison in Nova Scotia, I learned of Derrick's need to begin bridging the gap to the community. He had recently completed a successful work release and now had the opportunity to have a package of Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) but where to go and what to do? Was there a way he could make the most of them as a means to build bridges to the community? Being a firm believer in the processes of restorative justice, and with the support of his parole officer, I began to create a process which I hoped would bring maximum benefits to Derrick and all those involved.

A key factor in the process was finding a community group who would agree to meet with Derrick over a period of months, hosting him for a series of four ETAs. Enter Sackville United Church Pastoral Charge. Sackville United Church is located in Sackville, NB, within a 35 minute radius of three federal prisons. Their Board had recently begun to seek a way to become actively involved in some form of restorative justice. I was not aware of this, so when I made the initial request, I was pleasantly surprised by their positive response - "Yes, we are willing and ready to be part of such an undertaking." Within days of the request their minister, Rev. Jane Doull, informed me of the names of five people who were prepared to be the Support Team. In the end, four people plus myself made up the Support Team. None of the four from the pastoral charge had previous experience working with inmates, but all were actively involved in the community and brought with them a rich variety of life experiences.

Before the ETAs could actually take place, preparation was needed. All parties involved needed to be clear on expectations. It was also important that each one be involved in creating an ethos in which we could exchange stories, learn from each other and experience new awareness. Through these discussions we identified the restorative justice principles which would drive the process: safety, mutual respect, compassion, and commitment to seek reconciliation. Through a series of meetings these conversations took place, involving the Support Team, Derrick and his parole officer.

Very quickly my expectations for the ETAs were exceeded. During the first meeting, the support team built a bridge to Derrick of respect and compassion. He crossed this bridge and the group became a place where we could speak honestly and explore the deeper issues of life, along with everyday issues. Gradually, when granted permission to do so, we moved out from the church building into the community, enjoying the local coffee shop, the restaurants, the art galleries and the parks. What came as a surprise to the Support Team was the degree to which we derived pleasure from taking a day to build relationships, reflect on life, and explore the community. Each ETA became an opportunity to see the world from the perspective of another. In the end, four ETAs were extended to eight.

These meetings created a positive energy which in turn attracted the interest of others within the community. Mount Allison University sociology professor San Patten learned about the project and asked if I would work with a group of five students who were interested in reintegration. Over a period of four months, I met with the students regularly as they did research on reintegration, specifically from a restorative justice perspective. The students conducted surveys in the community, interviewed local businesses, the local police force and halfway houses, came to St. Luke's to meet with Derrick and a small group of inmates, and interviewed the Support Team from Sackville United Church. Interestingly, the students used the word "transformational" to describe their experience. An article which appeared in a local newspaper carried the students' enthusiasm to the wider community and raised the challenge that more services were needed in the community for the reintegration process to be successful.

As I write this article, Derrick is continuing to move forward in his plan to return to the community. I know that the Sackville United Church Pastoral Charge are pleased to have been part of this experience and to have been able to "support and learn from, one of the members of our society who has experienced life from a very different perspective." I also know that the MTA students, professor and the community as a whole were encouraged to think in restorative justice ways by the project. Through education, action, reflection, and creativity, communities can become communities of reconciliation.

Please register for the National Symposium on Restorative Justice
to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, November 18th - 20th, 2009
Contact Noreen Byrne at (709) 631-0069, cms@nfld.net