The title of this article is provocative, but hopefully not misleading. By “Offenders no More”, I do not wish to suggest that we can ever stop harm from happening. We are indeed capable of committing the greatest, but also the most shameful acts in nature. The title aims to provoke a new way of viewing “offenders” and through this new perspective adopt positive approaches that see them as individuals with whom we (“the victims”, the “community”, the judges, the researchers and so on) are already connected with. My focus here is to help us go back to what our original justice systems prioritised. That was the act of restoration. And let me explain this further. Too much energy has been spent
Happy International Restorative Justice Week 2017! It has become somewhat of a tradition to write my annual thoughts on restorative justice on the Sunday preceding our international celebrations! (For 2016 here, 2015 blog here, 2014 blog here, 2012 blog here). Every year, we learn something new about restorative justice, a concept that seems to be spreading without barriers or limitations. Before I expose my annual observations, a reminder and a disclaimer that I am the only person responsible for my views, which do not represent any organisation that I serve, work for or have come in contact with. Public Trust There can be no doubt that public trust in governments and their institutions has
