What is Restorative Justice? It is a theory of justice that emphasizes the repairing of harm caused by unjust behavior. It offers an alternative to Retributive Justice (eye for an eye) by holding offenders accountable, while simultaneously trying to redeem their broken situation. It is an acknowledgment that true justice is difficult work, but that the value and dignity of all persons involved is worth the effort.
It is also the official teaching of the church that punishment for a crime, “in addition to defending public order and protecting people’s safety, has a medicinal purpose: As far as possible, it must contribute to the correction of the guilty party.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2266)
In 1993, John Sage’s younger sister, Marilyn, was murdered. The two killers were apprehended and subsequently sentenced to the death penalty. After several years of trauma, rage, and grief, this life changing experience inspired Sage to found Bridges To Life in an effort to empower victims and rehabilitate prisoners. Bridges To Life searches for and embraces victims of violent crime, who are often broken by their pain, grief, and rage. The primary mission of Bridges To Life is to connect communities to prisons in an effort to reduce the recidivism rate of offenders and hereby effect a consequent reduction in crime in Texas. Under Sage’s leadership, Bridges To Life has experienced significant growth, currently utilizing over 300 volunteers participating in programs in 22 Texas prisons.
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) is a grassroots organization that was founded in Texas in 1972. It became a national organization in 1985. We believe that prisons should be used only for those who absolutely must be incarcerated and that those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around. We also believe that human rights documents provide a sound basis for ensuring that criminal justice systems meet these goals.
This national Catholic outreach among inmates and those affected by crime is named after one of the people executed with Jesus on Calvary. In that final hour Dismas took stock of his life and turned to Jesus for mercy: “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom Luke 23:42.” In the way that was typical of his ministry, Jesus turned to him and said:”This day you will be with me in paradise Luke 23:43.”
The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to correcting and preventing the conviction of innocent people in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Our staff of four works with a dedicated Board of Directors and scores of pro bono lawyers and law students to screen and investigate the cases of prisoners who write us. We then provide pro bono investigative and legal help in the most compelling cases, working to ensure that innocent prisoners obtain their freedom. We know we cannot possibly correct all of the wrongful convictions that have occurred in our region, so we also strive to educate judges, legislators, and the public about the causes of wrongful convictions. We hope that this education will lead to changes in our laws and our society that will prevent wrongful convictions in the future.
The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. To date, 273 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 17 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 13 years in prison before exoneration and release.
The Sentencing Project is a national organization working for a fair and effective criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing law and practice, and alternatives to incarceration. The Sentencing Project was founded in 1986 to provide defense lawyers with sentencing advocacy training and to reduce the reliance on incarceration. Since that time, The Sentencing Project has become a leader in the effort to bring national attention to disturbing trends and inequities in the criminal justice system with a successful formula that includes the publication of groundbreaking research, aggressive media campaigns and strategic advocacy for policy reform.