Tag Archives: Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice

Living in the Spirit

November 20, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 23:33-43

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ –Luke 23:38-43

Restorative justice is the work of helping someone turn around from errors they may have made and refocus their lives on positive outcomes. We all require it at one time or another. Restorative justice not only requires forgiveness but refocusing. We most often apply the term to persons who have been found guilty of a crime.

In our judicial system today, that is the last place we see restorative justice at work. However, there are a few bright lights to guide us. Oklahoma instigated a drug court system that deals with people caught up in the use and abuse of drugs. Rather than sending them to prison, we offer them the opportunity to identify a plan that is approved by the court and if they comply with the tenets of the plan, over time, they can remain in their community and be a productive citizen. Plans include such things as getting treatment for addiction, getting and keeping a job, etc.

Another form of restorative justice is a program I heard about prisoners who were serving life without parole sentences and who were taught to train service dogs. One of these prisoners said he first encountered unconditional love through those dogs who showed him what it meant to be loved.

Prayer: Lord, show us more ways to provide restorative justice. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Restorative Justice

Living in the Spirit

This Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 photo shows the gurney in the the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

September 1, 2022

Scripture Reading: Philemon 1:1-21

When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. –Philemon 1:1-16

Oklahoma did not execute anyone between January 16, 2015, when executions were stopped because of concerns about the method used. In 2021, a new Governor and Attorney General returned to executions, in their minds correcting a miscarriage of justice. Yes, we are still using the same method. Since October 28, 2021, four men have been executed, and 25 additional people are scheduled for execution by January 12, 2023.

The story in the above scripture addresses the return of a runaway slave who had stolen from his master. In his journey, he encountered the Apostle Paul, who introduced him to Jesus Christ.  Apparently, Onesimus converted to following in the ways of Jesus, and Paul convinced him he needed to return to his owner and make amends for his crimes, which he did. The word “Onesimus” is Greek for the English word “useful.” Not only did Onesimus return, but Philemon was instructed to welcome him as a beloved brother rather than a slave as he returned more useful than when he left.

I recently heard the story of one of the men on death row in Oklahoma who was guilty of killing a man and has served 18 years on death row since his conviction.  Apparently, this man also had a conversion experience and now dedicates his life to welcoming and caring for new prisoners as they arrive, being useful to their wellbeing. His love and concern for them may be the balm they need to return to society as a useful citizen.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for not practicing restorative justice as modeled by a prisoner himself. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Judging Others

Ordinary Time

February 20, 2022

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-38

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ –Luke 6:37-38.

The Greek word translated judge here is krínō which means to pick out (choose) by separating*. I saw a story on the news recently where a man who had served more than 40 years in prison was freed because new evidence was discovered that proved he was not guilty of the crime. We never know all the details of any action. We have a criminal justice system to protect the public, and to restore people to wholeness who have behaved in a way that was detrimental to the well-being of society. Our system of justice is limited by the facts that are missing. That is true in our criminal justice system, but it is also true in our everyday interactions with others. We never know all the facts about why something happened or why someone behaves the way they do. God knows all the facts, but we never do, and we need to be cognizant of that when we feel the need to judge others.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your grace that restores us to wholeness when we have strayed from following your path. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2919.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Restore Righteousness

Living in the Spirit

October 12, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:4-12

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
   he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.
   Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
   The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
   and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
   and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to death,
   and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
   and made intercession for the transgressors.  –Isaiah 53:10-12

I just saw a man interviewed on T.V. who has spent 42 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. There is no question in the current prosecuting attorney’s mind from the town he was tried. Clear evidence was presented. The man did not commit the crime. Yet the State Attorney General does not want to overturn the original verdict, for what reason I do not know, and thinks the prisoner should serve out his life without parole sentence. Being tough on crime gets votes. But, justice is the job of any judicial system, and keeping an innocent man in prison is not justice.

The person identified in the above scripture went far being setting a mistaken judgment right. Instead, he made people righteous who were guilty of transgressions. That is restorative justice, which offers people who committed crimes opportunities to turn their lives around and become members of society, making a positive contribution to their communities. Drug courts are an excellent example of restorative justice. Rather than sending someone convicted of drug possession, a restorative plan is developed, including treatment, getting and keeping a job, and not being charged again for similar actions. Once all the requirements are completed, participants return to society with righteousness restored.

A program for people who committed severe crimes sentenced to life without payroll allows them to train service dogs. They will never get out of prison, but they have been restored to righteousness. One observer noted that the dogs’ unconditional love was probably the only unconditional love some prisoners had ever received.

Prayer: Lord, make us all restorers of righteousness, whether in hands-on acts with others in need or through advocacy for restorative justice in all our court systems. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Restorative Justice

Living in the Spirit

September 15, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Jonah 3:10-4:11

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’

But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’

The people of Nineveh were doing evil; thus, God sent Jonah to proclaim what would happen to them if they did not repent, and they repented.  Jonah was not happy with God because, I guess, Jonah thought God had made Jonah look bad when in actuality, he had been highly successful. God is very forgiving; humans like to exact punishment. We have the same problem in our justice system today. There is a great debate in our treatment of persons found guilty of crimes, whether they are provided restorative justice or punishment. God chose to provide restorative justice. We are called to follow God’s path.

On the side of continuing lifetime punishment for any felony one might have committed, some states take away the convicted person’s right to vote for the rest of their life, even if they have served their entire sentence.

Oklahoma set the threshold for felony larceny at $500 in 2001. Felonies generally carry sentences of over one year in prison. However, for property theft between $500 and $1,000, the Legislature set the sentence to a term in county jail of up to one year*.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for being unable to forgive as you do. Restore us to wholeness so that we might be conduits of wholeness for others. Amen.

*For more information about allowing felons to vote see, https://oklahomawatch.org/2018/06/18/after-prison-many-oklahomans-are-prohibited-from-voting-for-years/

For information on all crimes in Oklahoma, see 2006 Oklahoma Code – Title 21. — Crimes and Punishments

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Plunder

Epiphany

January 21, 2020

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
   have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
   on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
   you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
   as with joy at the harvest,
   as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
   and the bar across their shoulders,
   the rod of their oppressor,
   you have broken as on the day of Midian.

I must admit describing rejoicing as how people exult when dividing plunder would not have been my pick as a metaphor. It probably does describe well jumping with joy when unexpectedly gaining something desired or even needed. It does not deal with that something being taken is the spoils of war.

A lot of novels have been published recently about the World War II, I guess because its 75th anniversary was observd a few years ago. Plunder was practiced even to the extent of removing gold teeth fillings from those who died or were killed in consecration camps. There is a big difference between celebrating an abundant harvest resulting from a lot of hard work and positive weather and celebrating what can be taken from people either displaced or killed. How do we remove the rod of oppressors without becoming oppressors ourselves?

Prayer: God of Justice and Mercy, help us learn how to deal with oppressors in ways that protect all and refocus oppressive behavior toward positive work. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Restorative Justice

Lent
March 31, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

  ‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”’ –Luke 15:20-32

Are we the older brother? With whom do we identify in this story? If we find ourselves in the role of the older brother, we are most likely taking our privilege for granted.  I have observed families who invest all their pride and energy in the children that do well according to the ways of the world, and I have seen families who worked so hard at saving a wayward child they ignored the others. God wants all God’s children to thrive and reach their full potential. We are called to see others the way God sees them.

The season of Lent is a great time to examine ourselves to determine if our perception of the people around us is driven from God’s ways or from the ways of the world. Oklahoma incarcerates more people than any other state. A wide variety of people are now examining that situation to see how we can move from an overly punitive system to a more restorative system of criminal justice. Is incarceration the best way to deal with a person who has been found guilty of a non-violent crime? Does labeling a person for the rest of their lives as a felon imped their reintroduction into normal society? What do people who cannot get a job because they are labeled a felon do to support themselves? Should drug or alcohol abuse be treated as a disease rather than responded to as a crime? What about those who make a lot of money off the addictions of others? If the prodigals of the world turn around and come home do we greet them with open arms and help or turn them away?

Prayer: Lord, guide us as we study and develop better ways of responding to crime and all that is impacted by it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Tangled Webs

Jesus’ Ministry
March 1, 2019

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
–2 Corinthians 4:1-2

I turned on the TV to listen to the noon news only to discover that the station was live streaming Michael Cohen’s testimony before a Congressional Committee. I watched it for a while. Some of the members of Congress seemed more interested in ascertaining why they should believe him now when they had called him back because he was convicted of lying to them previously. He tried to tell them that he was trying hard now not to practice cunning or falsehood. Of course, some will never believe him again, it is not in some of the questioners’ interest to believe him now, and some will only believe him if he has corroborating evidence. Sir Walter Scott perhaps states it best, Oh! What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive*.

My hope is that Mr. Cohen takes the opportunity to learn about Chuck Colson who got caught in political scandal in the Nixon Watergate Case and ended up in prison. Mr. Colson who died in 2012, turned his life around and became a strong advocate for Restorative Justice which he experienced himself through the forgiveness of a loving God.

Paul comes by a very different approach to understanding those who practice cunning and falsehood. He spent much of his ministry in and out of prison for crimes he did not commit and for telling the truth of Jesus Christ that some did not want shared. He was advocating for a man who was crucified for crimes he did not commit who was the embodiment of truth and light. Jesus Christ and Paul both surely had special places in their hearts for people lost in the web of deceit with who they shared a prison room or a cross. They both worked very hard to help all those whom they encountered be restored to wholeness. We are called to do the same for not only the oppressed who have done no wrong but also to those whose lives have been woven with deceit and need help breaking free from that web.

Prayer: Lord, guide us to free ourselves from deceit and to be conduits of your love to others trying to free themselves from it. Amen.

*From the poem Marmion by Sir Walter Scott see at https://www.enotes.com/topics/marmion/quotes/oh-what-tangled-web-we-weave-when-first-we

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Jesus as Judge

Jesus’ Ministry
February 24, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27-38

 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ –Luke 6:37-38

We all have some quirky ideas about life and living. We probably do not think they are weird. My sister and I got into a discussion recently about some of our Dad’s unusual quirks and wondered from where they started. He did not believe in surgery, in cutting into human bodies at all. I never discussed it with him and doubt that I would have gotten very far if I had tried. Even though my mother did not share this opinion, when he died my mother refused to let an autopsy be performed because she knew my Dad would not approve. I guess it was a good thing that he never had a condition requiring surgery.

It is unfair to judge anyone for anything without the full story and God is the only entity who has the whole story on anyone. I suppose that is why God gave the judgement assignment to Jesus*. We do need a judicial system to ferret out the various civil and criminal issues of our world, but we must always understand that such systems are limited by their inability to know the whole truth. Such systems are opportunities for us to provide restorative justice to those caught in cycles of crime.  Our inability to know the whole story about anyone’s behavior is also the reason I do not support the death penalty.

Prayer: Lord, help us provide as fair a justice system as possible within the limitations of our knowledge of events that lead to crimes and to always provide restorative justice. Amen.

*Matthew 25:31-46

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Restoring Wholeness

Jesus’ Ministry
February 19, 2019

Scripture Reading: Genesis 45:3-22

So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, “Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. –Genesis 45:8-9

Criminal justice is a big issue in Oklahoma. My state holds the ominous distinction of having the largest incarceration rate among states in the United States. There are lots of sides to the complexities of criminal justice. I would not attempt to explain how my state attained such notoriety. I do understand the vital value that will lead our way out of such darkness. We must first recognize that all people are people of worth. We are struggling to find the answer and a large part of the answer is in restorative justice.

Many years ago, when I was a child welfare worker, I approached the juvenile judge to request an order to remove a thirteen-year-old girl from her family where we had discovered she was being sexually abused. The elderly judge lifted his head and raised one eyebrow looking at me with a bit of mirth in his eyes. “I’ve known that family for over fifty years, they have never been any good. There is nothing you or anybody else can do for them.” I was probably 22 or 23 at the time fresh out of college, had little if any idea that children could be neglected or abused much less sexually abused. So, he was half right in assuming my lack of ability to make a difference in the situation, but in my heart of hearts I knew he was wrong about anyone being un-salvable. When I said, “I would like to try.” He signed the order and handed it back to me shaking his head.

I heard on a news report a few years ago that prisoners, some very hard-core criminals, were finding new life in training service dogs for all types of situations. If I remember correctly these prisoners were all serving life sentences. They may have been considered too dangerous to be let free. Yet they were experiencing the healing power of helping someone else while receiving the unconditional love of the dogs they were training. Perhaps that was the first unconditional love they had ever known.

Jesus invested much of his time restoring people to wholeness. All kinds of people. He was setting an example that we are to follow today, including restoring wholeness to those caught in the criminal justice system.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us of the stereotypes that keep us from viewing our fellow humans as your children. Help us to see the potential in everyone. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.