Assessing the Impact of Apology in Restorative Justice Processes: Lessons from California Prison Restorative Justice Project

• In Event: The Legal & Justice Landscapes of Incarceration

Abstract

In theory, restorative justice is an expanded view of a social response to crime or harm through a variety of processes or practices. A common outcome of almost any restorative intervention is an apology, or expression of remorse to the person that has experienced harm (the victim) and acceptance of accountability by the person responsible for harm (the offender). Although not necessarily it is not a requirement that the offender must apologize or that the victim must accept forgiveness, apology has become a regular experience or feature of many restorative justice processes, especially in victim offender dialogues (VODs) or mediation (VOMs), family group conferencing and healing circles.

For example, in California, the Accountability Letter Bank (ALB) is an online depository of incarcerated persons’ apology letters for access by those that have been harmed under the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights (OVSR) overseen by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCRR). This presentation will discuss the key elements of the apology letter and the authors’ experiences of our preparation of some incarcerated people in drafting their apology letters. Lastly, the authors will share examples of letters and examine the general impact of apology for both parties to harm.

Authors

• Alexa Sardina, California State University, Sacramento

• Ernest Uwazie, California State University, Sacramento