Assignment:
Journal: Restorative Justice in Action
Under the right conditions, victim-offender meetings can result in substantial healing. However, if the offender and the victim are not prepared or well suited for a meeting, further damage can occur. For this Journal assignment, you will watch interview clips from the Redemption Project With Van Jones with offenders and victims who have agreed to meet. Then you will reflect on your reactions to the clips and whether the offenders and victims are suitable candidates to meet.
To prepare:
Watch several clips from the Redemption Project With Van Jones series that include interviews with offenders and victims.
Write a 250-word journal response to the following prompts:
1. Briefly describe your initial reaction to the Redemption Project clips.
2. To what degree do you think the offenders and victims are suitable candidates for a face-to-face meeting? Explain your reasoning.
3. What insights do you have, or what conclusions can you draw, about victim-offender meetings after watching the clips?
Support your perspective with references to the readings.
Readings:
Understanding victim participation in restorative practices: Looking for justice for oneself as well as for others
By Tinneke Van Camp