How We Think About It
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Circle of Justice LLC. is dedicated to the foundational principles and philosophy of Restorative Justice viewed by the theory and wisdom of Howard Zehr. Howard is considered a pioneer in the field of Restorative Justice and is often called "the grandfather" of Restorative Justice. In his book "Changing Lenses",
published in 1990, Howard began to conceptualize a framework for justice that allows healing for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual ways of being. A way of justice that brings hope for the future and hope for genuine healing. Howard began to look at justice as a way to repair harm. Harm done to those who have been impacted by crime or conflict as well as to give those most impacted a voice in the matter. He says, "We must look beyond just the fact that a "rule" or "law" has been broken. We must consider the needs and interests of all who have been harmed (the victim, the community, and yes, the offender)".
Core Values of Restorative Justice
- Crime is an offense against human relationships.
- Victims, offenders, and the community are central to the justice process.
- A justice process should aim to restore the victim, the community and the offender.
- The offender has a personal responsibility to the victim and the community for wrongdoing.
- The community has a responsibility to learn from the victim and offender and work towards healing.
- The offender will have opportunity to try to resolve the problems that have occurred do to their
actions.
- Stakeholders share responsibilities for restorative justice through partnership and action.