Law Commons^™

Panel Discussion: Expanding Our Conception Of Justice

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Unspoken Immunity And Reimagined Justice: The Potential For Implementing Restorative Justice And Community Justice Models In Police-Related Shootings, Hannah Walker

Pace Law Review

The purpose of this Note is to analyze the limitations of the criminal legal system when faced with cases of police-related shootings. Specifically, I will discuss two instances of police (mis)conduct that captured the attention of the nation in the past three years: the non-indictment of Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann and the conviction of NYPD Officer Peter Liang. First, by assessing the circumstances and responses to those two cases, I will argue that the criminal legal system is inherently incapable of responding to and remedying the violence that occurs in situations laced with power, privilege, and emotional trauma. Second, …

Restorative Justice: A Look At Victim Offender Mediation Programs, Katie L. Moran

21st Century Social Justice

This report conceptualizes the effectiveness and benefits of utilizing the restorative justice model of Victim Offender Mediation (VOM) within the criminal and juvenile justice systems to serve the rights of victims, offenders, and society more justly. Victim Offender Mediation is discussed as a possible alternative justice model which reframes the victim-offender relationship to foster and respect the dignity and worth of each participant. This restorative justice model combats victims’ feelings of helplessness by giving them back their voice, while having the potential to specifically offer relief to those secondarily victimized by the legal system in cases of simple rape. Offenders …

Criminal Justice That Revives Republican Democracy, John Braithwaite

Northwestern University Law Review

Criminal justice seems an implausible vehicle for reviving democracy. Yet democracy is in trouble. It is embattled by money politics and populist tyrannies of majorities, of which penal populism is just one variant. These pathologies of democracy arise from democracy having become too remote from the people. A new democracy is needed that creates spaces for direct deliberative engagement and for spaces where children learn to become democratic. A major role for restorative justice is one way to revive the democratic spirit through creating such spaces.

Victimhood & Agency: How Taking Charge Takes Its Toll, Pam A. Mueller

Pepperdine Law Review

This Article addresses an unexplored tension in the civil justice system regarding victims. The goal of the civil system is to make victims whole. We can, as is most common, attempt to do this financially, or we can consider psychological research that suggests there may be other ways of restoring victims’ statuses. One of the most common nonfinancial solutions is to increase victim participation in the justice process. This is a solution that appeals to many victims and may benefit them psychologically. However, by increasing their participation, they may unknowingly trade off some of the benefits of victimhood. For instance, …

Mass Incarceration’S Second Generation – The Unintended Victims Of The Carceral State And Thinking About Alternatives To Punishment Through Restorative Justice, Alexandra A. Hoffman

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

The evolution of the juvenile criminal court system has involved a sharp movement away from the nineteenth century “rehabilitative ideal” to today’s state of hyperincarceration and punitive policies of control. Amongst the unintended and under-recognized harms of our carceral state includes a generation of minority children growing up with imprisoned parents. This analysis spotlights the tangible effects of parental incarceration on juvenile growth and development, which creates risks for further mass incarceration. This note suggests that restorative justice may offer an alternative method of “punishment” that can work towards breaking the connection between parental incarceration and adverse life outcomes for …

C-Drum News, Fall 2016

The C-DRUM News

No abstract provided.

Transforming Justice, Lawyers And The Practice Of Law, Marjorie A. Silver

Marjorie A. Silver

This is the Preface and Introduction to Transforming Justice, Lawyers and the Practice of Law, an anthology of writings by participants in the Project for Integrating Spirituality, Law and Politics (PISLAP) and others actively engaged in transforming law, legal education and social justice. It showcases the abundant ways in which lawyers, judges, law professors and others are employing more communitarian, peaceful and healing ways to resolve conflicts, plan legal relationships and achieve justice. It is written for lawyers, law professors, law students and others who share similar goals and are eager to learn new ways to practice law and create …

Transparency And Comparative Executive Clemency: Global Lessons For Pardon Reform In The United States, Andrew Novak

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article argues for transparency in the clemency process and contends that the concept of clemency as a benign sovereign’s “act of grace” is no longer appropriate in the modern world where executive action is subordinate to principles of constitutional due process and administrative equity. Despite calls for federal clemency reform in the United States, little comparative research examines clemency elsewhere in the common law world. This Article compares common law countries’ constitutional clemency mechanisms designed to promote openness, public and victim participation, and rational decision-making. In addition, this Article proposes four reforms to the U.S. pardon system that other …

Reforming School Discipline, Derek Black

Faculty Publications

Public schools suspend millions of students each year, but only five percent of suspensions are for serious misbehavior. School leaders argue that these suspensions ensure an orderly educational environment for those students who remain. Social science demonstrates the opposite. The practice of regularly suspending students negatively affects misbehaving students as well as innocent bystanders. All things being equal, schools that manage student behavior through means other than suspension produce the highest achieving students. In this respect, the quality of education a school provides is closely connected to its discipline policies.

Drawing on the connection between discipline and educational quality, this …

Voices On Innocence, Lucian E. Dervan, Richard A. Leo, Meghan J. Ryan, Valena Elizabeth Beety, Gregory M. Gilchrist, William W. Berry

Law Faculty Scholarship

In the summer of 2015, experts gathered from around the country to sit together and discuss one of the most pressing and important issues facing the American criminal justice system – innocence. Innocence is an issue that pervades various areas of research and influences numerous topics of discussion. What does innocence mean, particularly in a system that differentiates between innocence and acquittal at sentencing? What is the impact of innocence during plea bargaining? How should we respond to growing numbers of exonerations? What forces lead to the incarceration of innocents? Has an innocent person been put to death and, if …

What's Wrong With Sentencing Equality?, Richard A. Bierschbach, Stephanos Bibas

All Faculty Scholarship

Equality in criminal sentencing often translates into equalizing outcomes and stamping out variations, whether race-based, geographic, or random. This approach conflates the concept of equality with one contestable conception focused on outputs and numbers, not inputs and processes. Racial equality is crucial, but a concern with eliminating racism has hypertrophied well beyond race. Equalizing outcomes seems appealing as a neutral way to dodge contentious substantive policy debates about the purposes of punishment. But it actually privileges deterrence and incapacitation over rehabilitation, subjective elements of retribution, and procedural justice, and it provides little normative guidance for punishment. It also has unintended …

Decriminalizing Violence: A Critique Of Restorative Justice And Proposal For Diversionary Mediation, M. Eve Hanan

All Faculty Scholarship

The movement to reduce over-prosecution and mass incarceration has focused almost exclusively on non-violent offenders despite data showing that over half of all prisoners incarcerated within the United States are sentenced for crimes of violence. As a consequence of the focus on nonviolent offenses, the majority of current and future defendants will not benefit from initiatives offering alternatives to criminal prosecution and incarceration.

A discussion of alternatives to the criminal justice system in cases of violent crime must begin by acknowledging that violent crime is not monolithic. Many incidents meet the statutory elements of a violent crime, that is, the …

Voices On Innocence, Lucian E. Dervan, Richard A. Leo, Meghan J. Ryan, Valena Elizabeth Beety, Gregory M. Gilchrist, William W. Berry

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

In the summer of 2015, experts gathered from around the country to sit together and discuss one of the most pressing and important issues facing the American criminal justice system – innocence. Innocence is an issue that pervades various areas of research and influences numerous topics of discussion. What does innocence mean, particularly in a system that differentiates between innocence and acquittal at sentencing? What is the impact of innocence during plea bargaining? How should we respond to growing numbers of exonerations? What forces lead to the incarceration of innocents? Has an innocent person been put to death and, if …

Restorative Justice From The Margins To The Center- The Emergence Of A New Norm In School Discipline.Pdf, Thalia Gonzalez

Thalia Gonzalez

Plea Bargaining As Dialogue, Rinat Kitai-Sangero

Akron Law Review

This Article proposes turning plea bargaining into a dialogical process, which would result in lessening a defendant’s sense of alienation during the progress of the criminal justice procedure. This Article argues that plea bargaining constitutes an opportunity to circumvent restrictions existing during a trial or outside a trial, such as the inadmissibility of character evidence and the need for the victim's consent in restorative justice proceedings. This Article proposes to navigate the plea bargaining process in a way that creates a real dialogue with defendants. Such a dialogue can reduce the sense of alienation that defendants feel from their position …

Taking The Punishment Out Of The Process: From Substantive Criminal Justice Through Procedural Justice To Restorative Justice, Brenda Sims Blackwell, Clark D. Cunningham

Clark D. Cunningham

If the punishment is taken out of the process, and the processes of criminal justice become effective at restoration--and if rigorous empirical research might show that a restorative process costs less money and produces greater public safety--that would be a result everyone would embrace.

Building Trust And Breaking Down The Wall: The Use Of Restorative Justice To Repair Police-Community Relationships, Laura Merkey

Missouri Law Review

The town of Ferguson, Missouri, captured national attention when a grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, three months prior. Similar citizen deaths involving police in both New York City and Cleveland have magnified the tensions felt across the country, and in many cities and communities, the community-police relationships are rapidly becoming untenable. Baltimore, Maryland, is a prime example; protests, riots, and an atmosphere of mistrust pervaded the city for months after the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. The situation was, simply …

The Comprehensive Law Movement, Susan Daicoff

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Law And Justice Are Not Always The Same": Creating Community-Based Justice Forums For People Subjected To Intimate Partner Abuse, Leigh Goodmark

Florida State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Restorative Justice For Multinational Corporations, Andrew B. Spalding

Law Faculty Publications

Deterrence theory, rooted in the methodology of law and economics, continues to dominate both the theory and practice of white-collar crime. By manipulating the disincentives of prospective wrongdoers, deterrence aims to efficiently reduce crime and maximize taxpayers’ utility. However, the rise of international commerce presents a challenge it cannot meet. Using a combination of empirical evidence and quantitative modeling, this Article shows that deterrence will tend to increase, rather than decrease, net levels of corporate crime in developing countries. The ever-increasing power of multinational corporations thus calls for a new theory of punishment, one that uses criminal enforcement to address …

Restorative Justice: Review Of Existing Literature, International Norms And Best Practice., Princess Chavez, Christine Cinco, Darragh Drennan

Students Learning with Communities

This report is an annotated bibliography of literature on the practice of restorative justice. It is divided into sections focused on specific aspects of restorative justice and the experiences of a number of European jurisdictions. Each section contains a brief overview of the materials discussed and an exposition of a number of relevant articles. The students completed this research as part of the LLB Bachelor of Law programme. This project was designed and completed in collaboration with the Irish Penal Reform Trust

Restorative Justice, Punishment, And Atonement, Stephen P. Garvey

Stephen P. Garvey

Restorative justice is a way of responding to crime, and according to its proponents, it's a much better way of responding than the way they believe we now respond: through punishment imposed in the name of retributive justice. According to its proponents, restorative justice is better than retributive justice because it restores, or at least tries to restore, the victim; retribution's only aim is to punish the offender. According to restorativists, retribution ignores the victim. I argue here for two claims. First, I argue in Part II that restorative justice cannot have it both ways: it cannot achieve the restoration …

A Different Kind Of Justice: Review 2, Claudia Taranto

RadioDoc Review

A Different Kind of Justice tells the story of two people who met across a table in a restorative justice (RJ) conference, facilitated by Karl James, an RJ professional. Margaret’s home is robbed; Ian, a burglar and heroin addict, took a few small items, including a laptop with all her family photos. Margaret reveals that her daughter Jessica died in a car accident a few months after the burglary and the missing photos now mean so much more to the family.

The program is essentially interviews with the two characters, intercut, as they each tell their version of their shared …

A Different Kind Of Justice: A Critical Reflection, Cassandra Sharp Dr

RadioDoc Review

Despite the accepted success of many restorative justice programs with youth and Indigenous offenders, debate still proliferates about the utility of adult restorative justice programs within the criminal justice system. Many important questions are raised about the efficacy and impact of such programs including: ‘What can restorative justice offer adult offenders and victims of crime? What are some of the challenges of using restorative justice in this context? And what can we learn from emerging developments in practice?’ (Bolitho et al, 2012). As will be discussed in this review, Russell Finch’s BBC Radio 4 production of A Different Kind of …

Circles Of Trust: Using Restorative Justice To Repair Organizations Marred By Sex Abuse, Meredith C. Doyle

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article focuses on the role of restorative justice in repairing the sexual abuse cases of organizations like schools and churches. Topics discussed include efforts of the community members and institution leaders in the prevention of sexual victimization, the role of public apology and restorative justice in restoring the community faith and the role of the criminal justice system in protecting the victims of sexual abuse.

Restoring Our Children's Future: Ending Disparate School Discipline Through Restorative Justice Practices, Kaeanna Wood

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This note opens the discussion on disparate school discipline with a case harboring egregious facts, then goes on to explore the history of zero-tolerance policies as the primary method of school discipline, federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on race in school discipline, and the rise of restorative practices as a means of school discipline. In conclusion, this note argues that in implementing restorative justice practices as an alternative dispute resolution method, schools can end a pattern of disproportionately disciplining African American and Hispanic students and create an environment that fosters success for all children.

Justicia Restaurativa Y Mediación Comunitaria. Emergencia De Un Nuevo Paradigma De Impartición De Justicia, Teresa M. G. Da Cunha Lopes, Diana Leticia Serrano Andrés

Teresa M. G. Da Cunha Lopes

Restorative justice is a systemic response to crime that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by the criminal behavior . The new paradigm called "Restorative Justice" has had significant impact, as it meant to be the answer to many victims seeking a prompt impartation of justice , fair and efficient, In addition , the victims to feel heard and participate in the process aimed at healing. The term "Restorative Justice" was first coined in 1977 by Albert Eglash that distinguished three types of criminal justice: retributive, distributive and restorative. In this article we analyze the emergence of a new paradigm, and …

Changing Tides: The Introduction Of Punitive Damages Into The French Legal System, Matthew K.J. Parker

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Restorative Justice In Post-Conflict Areas, Nancy Montgomery, Hillary Hook, Hilary Murphy

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This presentation sought to review the literature in regards to understanding international restorative justice efforts in conflict prone areas. After outlining a definition of restorative justice we explored its implementation in three different countries. First, we examined the historic precedence of indigenous sentencing courts in Australia. Second, we looked at current measures in Northern Ireland and their effectiveness. Third, we offered a predictive outline for the potential work in South Sudan. These case studies showed the past, present and future of restorative justice. With this knowledge we hoped that people would better understand the efficacy of restorative justice and recognize …