Restorative Justice
- Restorative JusticeCentre for Justice and Reconciliation
- Circle Peacemaking Justice Center University of AlaskaCircle sentencing is a form of restorative justice, one of a number that have emerged over the past decade in response to demands for community and victim involvement in the justice process. These community-based projects are value-based, seeking to repair harm done and to transform communities. A Justice Center research team working in Kake, in Southeast Alaska, was able to observe the community’s adoption of the circle sentence process over a period of eighteen months. Although circle sentencing is a community problem-solving mechanism open to all, Kake's tribal leadership considered it important to incorporate Tlingit values in the way the circle was conducted. The circle's broad intention is noted by its name in Kake: “circle peacemaking.”
- Restorative JusticeThis article provides a brief introduction to the concept of restorative justice, some common restorative processes, and a discussion on why a balanced restorative approach is beneficial in rural Alaska.
Eighth Amendment
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikealsen
Touching Spirit Bear by Call Number: FIC MIKISBN: 0756910994Cole Matthews is angry. Angry, defiant, smug--in short, a bully. His anger has taken him too far this time, though. After beating up a ninth-grade classmate to the point of brain damage, Cole is facing a prison sentence. But then a Tlingit Indian parole officer named Garvey enters his life, offering an alternative called Circle Justice, based on Native American traditions, in which victim, offender, and community all work together to find a healing solution. Privately, Cole sneers at the concept, but he's no fool--if it gets him out of prison, he'll do anything. Ultimately, Cole ends up banished for one year to a remote Alaskan island, where his arrogance sets him directly in the path of a mysterious, legendary white bear. Mauled almost to death, Cole awaits his fate and begins the transition from anger to humility.
Ghost of Spirit Bear by ISBN: 9780060090098Publication Date: 2010-03-30In the wilderness, Cole found peace. But this isn't the great outdoors. it's high school.
At fifteen, Cole Matthews faced a prison sentence for slamming another student's head against a sidewalk. To avoid prison, he volunteered for Native American Circle Justice and agreed to a year in exile on a remote Alaskan island. There he was mauled by the legendary Spirit Bear and nearly faced death . . . but finally found redemption.
Now, his banishment over, he has to return home and face the one thing he may not be able to handle: high school. Gangs haunt the hallways. Cole finds violence at every turn and as the hate-filled school reaches its boiling point, the hibernating rage inside Cole begins to stir. In this tale of urban survival and self-awareness, Cole realizes it's not enough to change himself. He has to change his world.