Over the past weeks I have been reading with increasing anguish the articles, op-eds and letters to the editor regarding the tragic death of Jeff Dusenbury at the hands of inebriated teenager Alexandra Ellis, and her resulting guilty plea and sentence. My lasting sense is that the family and friends of the victim feel unheard, unsupported and disenfranchised from the judicial process. There is a very human response that seeks revenge and punishment that is equal to the harm done.
I know that I can never presume to know how everyone involved is hurting and grieving. I can only imagine and wonder. I wonder how differently the community would feel if they had been a part of crafting the plan to hold Alexandra accountable, and at the same time restoring her humanity, so that she is not forever reduced to being a walking symbol of her worst bad act. I wonder how much healing would be possible for the family and friends of Jeff if they could have shared their needs and their grief during the justice process, and speaking with and hearing from Alexandra face-to-face. I wonder how much more healing would take place for everyone involved if Jeff's family and friends were to eventually somehow forgive Alexandra and embrace her back into the community.
There is a process that greatly increases the possibility of this happening, and it's called Restorative Justice. The process looks at the root causes of the behavior from the offender and seeks to prevent repeat offenses. It brings the family of the victim, the offender and their family, and law enforcement together to establish a plan of restoration and accountability. The process does not preclude jail time, but it also takes the accountability much further than simply serving time, such as reparation, community service, and apology. Restorative Justice is being practiced around the country and the world with very positive results, including increased satisfaction with the process from victims, not to mention reduced recidivism and cost.
Restorative Justice is just one part of the "Five Cornerstones of Peacebuilding" as articulated by the Peace Alliance:
? Humanizing Justice Systems: Moving toward more healing-oriented approaches. Restorative justice, diversion/alternative incarceration programs, and prisoner rehabilitation and re-entry programs are among the most promising solutions. The Longmont, Colorado, Community (restorative) Justice Partnership -- brought its recidivism rate down to 8 percent, compared to over 55 percent in the surrounding Boulder County.
? Empowering Community Peacebuilding: Addressing such challenges as neighborhood crime, gangs, and police/community relations. One example is the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, in Gainesville, Florida, which is guiding the entire police force through day-long workshops where they interact with high-risk teenagers, strengthening community connections. Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia has introduced the bipartisan Youth PROMISE Act (HR 2197), which promotes best practices for reducing youth violence and incarceration. I encourage our congressional leaders to support this bill.
? Teaching Peace in Schools: Using tools such as social-emotional learning, reflective listening techniques, restorative processes, and other proven peace-building skills to increase graduation rates and dramatically transform challenges facing youth. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio has a bill (HR 850) currently before Congress to bring social and emotional learning into U.S. public school curriculum.
? Fostering International Peace: Mediation, economic development, post-conflict justice, humanitarian aid, and support for frameworks necessary for democratic processes. U.S. agencies leading in this realm include the U.S. State Department's Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau, and USAID's Complex Crises Fund, as well as the U.S. Institute of Peace. All are working on a shoestring budget, and deserve more congressional and public support.
? Cultivating Personal Peace: Integrating peace in our own lives, through such methods as compassionate communication, mindfulness, empathy, and stress reduction.
More detailed examples in each of these areas can be found at www.peacealliance.org.
Nothing we as a community can do will ever bring Jeff back, nor undo the tragic events of July 19, 2014. People's lives are forever changed by what happened. We can, however, promote greater healing for everyone involved by humanizing the justice system, being more inclusive of the needs of the victims and survivors, holding the offender to a higher accountability, and thereby restoring them to a being a productive member of our community.
Lori Draper is the assistant national field director of the Peace Alliance and can be contacted at lori@peacealliance.org.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.