Adding restoration to justice

By Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer

March 01, 2008 08:58 pm

— Berea resident Jeff From is leading an effort that could bring personal healing into the nation’s criminal justice system.
Restorative justice is a theory that is gaining popularity around the nation and involves victim-offender communication.
It is an effort of Prison Fellowship International (PFI), which is a worldwide criminal justice ministry.
From works as an independent trauma healing specialist and has no set charge for his services. It is based on a sliding scale based on what the person is able to pay, he said.
The theory of restorative justice is just beginning to be mentioned in Kentucky.
“We have trouble finding funding for it, but we’re trying to get some grant money,” he said.
The process of bringing together victim and offender can be very slow, and usually begins with letter writing, he said.
Then, both the victim and the offender are counseled separately and both must be willing to participate.
“It’s more of getting a feel of where both people stand,” From said. “It’s a process that helps healing in the victim and the offender.”
Healing is something that is not emphasized as much as it should be, he said.
“We have a criminal justice system that doesn’t let people heal from the wrongs that other people have committed,” he said. “We also tend to demonize (the offender). Instead of actually working with our neighbors that we have, we just call the police on them. It’s a form of justice that looks at crime as being a harm between people, not necessarily a breaking of a law.”
From recalled a mediation session between a shooting victim and his offender. The victim was left in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
“It’s an amazing service when you get to see people transform in front of you in a mediation process like this,” he said. “Sometimes, the (victim and offender) will leave the meeting hugging.”
Restorative Justice is an effort of Prison Fellowship International (PFI), which is a worldwide criminal justice ministry.
The goal of the initiative is to heal broken relationships, repair the damage done by crime and restore the offender.
PFI has organizations helping around the world with the assistance of about 100,000 volunteers, spiritual, moral, social and physical well-being of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families and victims of crime.
The PFI offers other services such as encouraging faith-based prisons, supporting ex-prisoners in their adjustment to a free society, assist children and families of prisoners, reconcile victims and offenders
from pfi.org.
Anyone in Madison or surrounding counties interested in beginning victim-to-offender communication/mediation can send an e-mail to jeff.from@gmail.com.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.