Summary
This book examines a victim-offender dialogue program that offers victims of severe violence an opportunity to meet face-to-face with their incarcerated offenders. Using interview data, it follows the harrowing stories of crime and violence, ultimately moving beyond story-telling to provide both an accessible analysis of restorative justice and evidence that the program has significantly helped the victims. It also looks at how the program has impacted offenders, many of whom have also experienced positive changes in their lives in terms of creating greater accountability and greater victim empathy.
Contents
Part I. Foundations -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Tossing turkeys and other stories: what do they say about crime and punishment? -- 3. Getting personal : the power of storytelling --
Part II. Victim and Offender Stories -- 4. Donna and Jamel: living in different prisons -- 5. Allison and James: from horror to gratitude -- 6. Laurie and Paul: emerging from a cocoon -- 7. Melissa and Steven: losing innocence -- 8. Scott and Bruce: thou shalt not -- 9. Leigh and Jenny: lives interrupted -- 10. Julie and Kevin: in memoriam -- 11. Kathleen and Wayne: a mother's love -- 12. Chris and Brett: misguided chivalry --
Part III. Analysis -- 13. The importance of storytelling for restorative justice.