Perspectives S36/Ep69 Restorative Justice and Lived Religion

Amidst the political rhetoric of getting “tough on crime,” RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND LIVED RELIGION opens thoughtful discussions of a way to reduce crime by making communities safer and more supportive. Many of us associate “restorative justice” with international truth and reconciliation commissions spurred by human rights atrocities such as apartheid. In the US, it typically refers to small-scale efforts that divert alleged wrongdoers from the standard path of time behind bars. Studies of such initiatives affirm their value for reducing recidivism—by as much as 44 percent when compared with prison—and improving perceptions of fairness and satisfaction with the justice process among both offenders and victims. Yet, making our criminal punishment system feel “kinder and gentler” isn’t enough. In RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND LIVED RELIGION: Transforming Mass Incarceration in Chicago, Jason A. Springs, Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, shows how restorative justice has the potential to overcome the racism embedded in the American justice system’s culture of retribution and violence. To make the case for restorative justice’s transformative power, the author calls for a holistic approach to concrete, purposeful practices that foster moral and spiritual forms of association between people.