Restorative Justice

When Stacey Campbell talks about reconciliation she knows what she's talking about. Not only because of her work with Prison Fellowship Canada but also because of the reconciliation she has worked through in her personal life. Stacey vulnerably shares stories about both with us.

Content warning: this post reflects on how society - mostly personal attitudes, but to an extent legal approaches - responds to and treats perpetrators of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. I am not a survivor of trafficking or exploitation, so my reflections about these matters are from a distance. As someone who works closely with individuals who have been personally affected by these crimes, I make every effort to be sensitive to their victimization and experiences.

John Lamsma has spent over 25 years in prison…ministry. He shares how pastoral care can ease the pain of incarceration, the origins of restorative justice as a focus in the CRCNA and the importance of affirming the image of God in every person, always.

While I was waiting in line for dinner at Inspire 2022, I struck up a conversation with someone about the workshop I was co-facilitating (with Liz Tolkamp) on restorative practices. The person’s eyes lit-up with some kind of familiarity (which sparked my curiosity!). That night, I heard yet another unique description of restorative practices, similar to what I have been hearing over the last several years.

A driver was going 5 mph over the limit due to not seeing a damaged speed limit sign. After a police officer issued the driver a traffic infraction the driver immediately scheduled a time to argue it. However, even before the driver could talk, the judge simply threw out the infraction. Even though the driver didn’t have to pay the fine, they left feeling dissatisfied because they did not have the opportunity to speak.

In this episode, Chris asks Dennae how she’s seen the multi-ethnic churches she’s involved with respond in a season of spotlighted violence. They also reflect on a collection of prayers Dennae wrote in response, Healing Prayers and Meditations to Resist a Violent World, and how to keep moving intentionally toward God’s kingdom when it’s long and hard work.

Have you ever witnessed the loud street preacher or self-proclaimed prophet, standing atop a soap box on a busy street corner? Their message could span a wide range, from the spiritual warnings of the future, to past misdeeds of people, to current displeasures with systems or governments. A group of friends and I have recently walked by one such gentleman and his particular message was promoting angry retribution for people who have committed particular crimes.

In 2018, Lauren Daigle, the sensational contemporary Christian singer, captured the hearts of many with the release of her second album, Look Up Child. There is one song in Lauren’s album, which not only brought me life, but consequently, gifted me with a renewed sense of perspective in terms of how Christians ought to respond when it comes to the issue of the death penalty, and that is the opening song of the album – “Still Rolling Stones.” 

When someone is arrested, convicted of a crime and given a sentence of greater than two years, they are given a Federal Prison System Number (FPS #). In some ways they are given a new name, but in other ways their name is taken from them. True of other institutions in our world, people can lose their given identity and become just another number.