Esperanza is Amazing!

Thanks for participating in our visit to Esperanza today.

For those of you who could not make it - you were missed.

We ended our time together today with an exercise where each group had to create criteria for potential youth clients for your organization. From there you had to choose 8 youth from a pool of who fit your criteria. The reason why Tracy and I decided that this would be an appropriate exercise is because we wanted to make the youth as 'real' as possible. Our goal was to bring the people on the paper to life in hope of helping you understand what it is like to hold a person's life in your hands. Many of you seemed surprised when we came to the conclusion that even with the most horrifying case there never is a time where we should give up on an individual. We tend to make judgments solely on the offense that has been committed and tend to forget that each person has a story and there are many variables that need to be considered.

On another note, something that we did not discuss yet is the group dynamic. For any of you that may be considering starting your own organization or initiative, working with others towards a common goal is inevitable. I would like for you to reflect on how working with you group went today. Did you learn anything? Was it difficult to come to a consensus? Do you see any challenges that you might encounter? Tracy has pointed out to me that "Nobody builds an Esperanza alone and reaching a consensus is part of the process."

FYI: Tracy will be checking in on Tuesday to make comments and answer some questions!

More Than Meets the Eye

First I would like to give kudos to the professors for running class every week - it is not easy! Next I would like to thank my fellow classmates for a successful class!

The first thought when learning about restorative practice is something like “You want to bring the victim and offender together? What kind of a crazy idea is that?! How can this be beneficial?” It brings up negative feelings, guilt, and shame. And yet could there be more? Below are two quotes from The Fork in the Road to Juvenile Court Reform. These quotes stood out to me as I read the article. I would like to hear your reactions to these quotes. Are there any words in either quote that jump out at you? Do you agree with the ideas or do you completely disagree and why?

“It can be argued, however, that something important was lost as communities seemed to abandon their responsibility for many problems that now find their way onto juvenile court dockets” (pg. 83).

“Moreover, it can be argued that expansion of the government role in these matters has contributed to a kind of learned helplessness and powerlessness in raising young people and resolving disputes” (pg 83).

Also, what were you thinking when you left class yesterday? Had your view of restorative practices changed? Did you have any ideas or questions left over that you wished you could have mentioned in class? Thinking back to Jamie’s class last week and solitary confinement; could restorative practices be used instead of solitary confinement? Or perhaps in conjunction with solitary confinement? My final question is, can a mediator stay neutral? We saw that Christina seemed to be struggeling with this yesterday, what do you think? Would training make a difference?

Solitary Confinement! NOW What?

Hello fellow Fellows!

Our most recent class got this discussion off to a great start!

I think we all realize just how complex the prison system is at its core. Chad summarized best the issue at hand when he said that the prison system at its core is an intersection and overlap of issues of race, history, fear, money interests, jobs, and ideology. We also agreed that there seems to be a collision of interests, personal, financial, and otherwise, that work together to perpetuate such a terrible form of punishment. One other thing that we seemed to agree on was that some measure of solitary confinement could be beneficial for some offenders, but only when done for short, reasonable periods of time. The statistics that Professor Stein talked about were staggering: “sixty percent of individuals incarcerated have mental problems.” What are the implications of such statistics? Does it mean that offenders who are released are more likely to be unstable mentally? Would this make it more difficult for offenders to receive the specific help and care that they need when they leave prison, with a history of solitary confinement?

Joseph also did a good job at the start of class telling us about what Felton could have done differently regarding his run-in with the bartender. We cannot forget that potential offenders, as well as offenders should take some measure of responsibility for their actions. The perspective of the victim is just as important as that of the offender. I think the example that Christina gave was so on-point! She talked about her perspective on two different offenders: in one case, she was the victim and wanted the offender to be punished appropriately, and in the other case, her friend was being punished and she thought it terribly unfair. This is a very good example of what one may experience or see when one changes lenses on a situation. There are so many perspectives involved when we look at one case that it is clear to see why a conflict in interests occurs in the overall system. Everybody (prison wardens, offenders, victims, politicians, legislators, family of victims, and the society in general) is not on the same page! Why?

What is the purpose and worth of solitary confinement if it is being used as a tool that ultimately produces jaded, damaged, and resistant people? When I hear a formerly incarcerated individual who experienced solitary confinement say that he would not wish solitary confinement even on the person who was responsible for his being in solitary confinement in the first place, I take it as a powerful testimony of the terror of being confined in such a manner.

Do you think that solitary confinement is the “necessary evil” that must be implemented in an attempt to “discipline” society’s worst offenders? Do you think that a system like that of the British (discussed in the article) can be successful in America? Why? Also, for those who may think that it’s too late for America to adopt the British system, do you think that there is any possible way for America to build toward a system with similar results to that of the British system?

What is justice?

I first want to thank everyone for really getting into the character roles today in class. You all did much better than I could have envisioned.

I get frustrated sometimes after hearing how messed up the world around me can be, how the injustices and unfairness can be allowed to grow each day without much opposition or change. Then I think maybe by changing what I do, or how I perceive different things occurring around me that I can improve something. I think the biggest problem I face is that I want instant results, that I somehow became a victim of the instantaneous culture that is so prevalent today. That somewhere along the way I lost the concept of working hard to achieve goals and that I began to think the ends was not worth the work. That I somehow began to think that the only worthwhile change is the one that comes instantly. Maybe I won't be able to alter the injustices today, and probably I won't be able to alter all the injustices I see. Possibly overtime, with hard work, and experience I can put myself in a position where I am able to make a change, and possibly make a path that will lead to a better, fairer world.

I asked at the end of class today the question that is the title of this blog. Many of the responses had the same answer, "not sure." I began thinking to myself when reviewing the answers, "If so many people are not sure what justice is, and I'm not what justice exactly is, then how can justice be properly rendered?" Are people being arrogant when they say justice can be properly administered? Does the definition of justice serve to full fill people's need to define everything?

Then I thought of the symbol commonly used for justice. "Lady Justice," there is so much imagery that lies within the sculpture that it doesn't define justice, instead it adds to the ambiguity of the idea of justice. Why is it a woman who is the depiction of justice? Are women more just than men? Why is she blindfolded? Is it to prevent her from being bias, or is it to prevent her from seeing the injustices of the world? Why does she carry a balance? Why does she carry a sword? Does that mean justice can only be served through punishment? To me, her imagery only adds questions to the already daunting question.

Finally I would like to ask one last question. How do you see yourselves altering injustices through your future careers or ventures?