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Last week's speaker was Sergeant Skinner who joined the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in 2000. Sgt. Skinner spoke on the topic of restorative justice. She began by retelling a story from the Prison Fellowship International. She told a story of a lady who told inmates of the effects of being robbed while held at knifepoint while working behind the counter at a gas station. The lady told of the trauma caused, flashbacks and fear caused.
Restorative Justice is a process in which the victims and the offender and any other individual or community members participate together actively in the resolution of matters arising from the crime. A restorative outcome is an agreement reached as a result of the restorative process. This can be reparation, restitution and community service aimed at meeting the individual and collective needs and responsibilities of parties and achieving the re-integration of victims and offenders. In the Sycamore Tree Project, victims share their stories in the process. Both the victims and the inmates are given techniques through homework, exercises, role play, empathy training, prayers and reflection strategies to help heal their lives.
She spoke about the aims of restorative justice such as putting key decisions in the hands of those affected by crime as well as making justice more healing and transformative. The programs also aim to help offenders to understand how their actions have affected other people and to take responsibility for their actions. Outcomes help to repair the harm done and address reasons for the offence. Plans are tailored to the victim's and offender's needs and give both a sense of closure.
Sgt. Skinner described how experts on restorative justice see it as an alternative to prison. She closed by saying that if prisons correct behavior we all win but it will only happen if we have the proper programs, vision and expansion of what the staff can do for everyone's health and safety.
