Restorative Justice

Is there a real alternative to the criminal justice system? Is there a way to make victims whole, make offenders responsible, and create communities of care? The answer may be restorative justice? I say "may be" because it really depends on how well the program is run, the protections, the process, the goals, and the ways it is implemented.

A good restorative justice program can result in less offenders in prison, victims of nonviolent crimes getting made whole quicker, and levels of pain, guilt and shame reduced for all. Not everyone agrees with this type of program, though. It's a voluntary program. It's usually used with juveniles. The idea is that all the victims and the offender come together with a facilitator and everyone gets to speak in a very systematic question and answer way. It's about release of pain, forgiveness, hearing everyones voice, apologies, understanding why's, agreeing on punishments, etc. It's a little feely type of justice, but it does work in some contexts.

In my class tonight, one of my classmates mentioned that he thought it would be good to have victims get a chance to try a process after prison to tell the offender how much harm they caused. This is the opposite of restorative justice and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. I said that so many of us carry way too much shame and guilt into prison and we work so hard to be able to move forward in our lives after doing our time. At our sentencing, we hear everyone's story of how much harm we did. Why would it do any good to put us in front of another firing squad after releasing us from prison. Well, that silenced my class...

I guess being out about my experiences allows me to be a little more emotional in class now too... for better or worse.

In much better news, I officially have my thesis topic and I'm writing on it ... well, kinda. My thesis Chair (he agreed to Chair today) loved my idea of turning my blogs from the time I was in Carswell into an autoethnography. So, between now and end of summer, I will be tearing apart all those writings and writing about 1-2 themes based in criminal justice. The goal will be to provide usable information that can be used to study female and federal prison issues. I'm excited that my experiences may be used in classrooms in the future!

A Felons Right to Vote

A lot of people are usually surprised to learn that congress left it up to the states to decide whether a person with a prior felony has a right to vote - in state and federal elections. Seems odd, felons in one state are allowed to vote for the U.S. President, but felons in another state are not. This year, of course, is not about who will run the country, so much, as who will run the state, local judiciaries, seats in the U.S. house and senate are up for grabs, but as an "off" year, less people will vote than during a "presidential" year.

It's sad, really. Around my campus, the 'get out the vote' campaign was just not that large compared to two years ago when everyone was talking about the election. I hate to admit that I don't even think T.S. is registered to vote (if you are T.S., I'm sorry to say I don't know that you are)... it would have been her first election. People are just not that excited to vote. No one has them talking that much in our state - although they should - our current governor should be ousted - but most people don't even know the person's name running against him. It's so sad!

Like so many others, I HATE all the political ads. I fast forward them, turn a blind eye to them, just generally get so sick of them. But, I still do my homework. I bring up voting guides on my computer and read non-partisan guides to the polls - what do the candidates write to the questions asked? I must admit, I vote a democrat ticket. I will not vote for a republican, because I am not a one-issue voter - and I cannot vote for someone who will go the party line on so many issues that I am against. However, some things - like referendums, judicial candidates, etc are nonpartisan, so I have to read the voter guides to see what the real arguments are and see who is endorsing each side. That gives me a much better understanding of the issue. Sometimes things are written in such a way that we vote the exact opposite of what we mean to vote on an issue. I don't want to accidentally do that. Every vote counts!!

So, why am I doing this? Because I gratefully happen to live in a state that allows felons to vote. It's one of the first things I looked up when I realized I would have a felony to my name. There are so many people in this world who have no rights to say who leads their country's, who reigns over them, who declares the laws of their land, who sits on their judicial benches, etc. We have a right that we take for granted. It wasn't so long ago that women did not have that right. African Americans did not have that right. The disenfranchised in this country have fought so hard for the right to vote. We cannot take it for granted. I am a felon and I have a right to vote and I will vote in every election - big or small because I can!!! My vote matters. My experiences help me be a more knowledgable voter. I'm grateful to have this right!

Whether you have always had the right or not --- go out and vote today!!!!

Oldies but Goodies

Today was a good day. I spent time with friends I've barely seen since being home from Carswell. They are the few non-school friends I've had here and are truly wonderful people. Once we sit to start talking, it's like no time has passed and we can just talk for hours. I love those kinds of friends.

The amazing thing is, though, that none of us live very far away from one another. Yet, months, literally have passed since our last time together. These are two different friends that I met with separately and the truth is, I only blame myself for the failure to ensure that we are getting together. 

After all my friends did for me while I was away, all the gratitude I have for each and every one of them, how is it possible that I fail to see some of them when they live so close? How do I fail to contact those that live further away? I haven't failed keeping in touch with my mother or father, so why do I fail so many of my incredibly friends who never fail me??

By the way, my father is still hanging on there. He's in his third round of chemo & radiation. His brain tumor is still there, but has not grown. A new cancer growth is now in the bone in his hip. That's the third location. I finally have permission to travel to see him in late December. Docs are planning on doing another PET scan right around then.

Back to my failure with my friends. For the most part, I must admit that I do not hear complaints from my friends. They know that school, work, studying, etc keep me very busy. It is very true. I think it's something deeper though.

There's a part of me that knows that I'm not capable of being as good a friend as so many are to me. They have such incredible patience and compassion. I get so lost in thought and sometimes miss a whole conversation because my ADD put me completely somewhere else. I know I do what I can for my friends, but I am always amazed at the incredible kindness of those around me. It's like I'm a not as smart Sheldon, and I'm surrounded by all the Big Banf Theory friends who make my life so wonderful. At least that's how I feel sometimes :-).

I certainly am grateful to have some of the best people possible in this world to call friends. They are interesting, generous, intelligent, kind, sincere, foodies, adventurers, family-orientated, diverse, humorous, passionate, capable, creative, fun, lovely people. I've known some for over twenty years, many for over six, and a few for just a few... And some brand new folks too. Doesn't matter, I know good, when I see good.

Whether we see each other often, every couple months, every few years, or just over facebook, it's okay by me. I know that the next time we pull up a chair next to one another, it will be like no time has passed and our friendship is just as fresh. I may not be deserving of the wonderful that is you, but I am certainly not going to easily let you go!