Marlee identified as the receiver of harm from sexual violence. She chose restorative justice after finding the criminal legal system wanting. The criminal legal system asks what law has been broken, who broke it and what is the punishment. RJ asks what harm was done, who was harmed and how do we repair it. Let’s find out how Marlee thinks about healing, forgiveness, trauma, shame, stigma, and wellness.
Speaker
Marlee Liss ( www.MarleeLiss.com )
Restorative Justice Advocate
(Read bio here)
Moderator
Danielle Cooper, Ph.D., CPP
(Read bio here)
Co-Sponsor
Senator Gary Winfield
(Read bio here)
What I didn't know about RJ two years ago is that it is victim-centered.
- Dr. Danielle Cooper, University of New Haven
I wanted to humanize myself to my assailant. I wanted to humanize my assailant to me.
The same way survivors need healing, perpetrators need accountability [and incarceration is not accountability]. (Paraphrased from Danielle Sered's Until We Reckon)
My life is way too precious to think of myself as damaged.
- Marlee Liss
Restorative justice is a rigorous process.
Other Videos
References
Crime Survivors Speak
This is the first-ever national survey of victims views on crime and safety. Attached, is a two page executive summary and key findings.
Two of the most interesting outcomes of the study were: (1) By a 2 to 1 margin, victims prefer that the criminal justice system focus more on rehabilitating people who commit crimes than punishing them. (2) Crime victims want to invest in youth crime prevention over prisons by a 7 to 1 margin.
Executive Summary
https://onestandardofjustice.org/Crime-Survivors-Speak-Executive-Summary-and-Key-Findings.pdf
Full Report
https://onestandardofjustice.org/Crime-Survivors-Speak-Full-Report.pdf
A different path for confronting sexual assault
What is restorative justice? A practitioner explains how it works.
https://impactjustice.org/a-different-path-for-confronting-sexual-assault/t
Forgiveness Helps Heal, Yes; But Even After Murder?
Health News Florida by Carol Gentry
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2013-01-07/forgiveness-helps-heal-yes-but-even-after-murder
Sex Offender Laws: Failed Politics, New Directions
By Richard G. Wright
Chapter 16: The Impact of Sex Offender Policies on Victims
By Rachel Kane Bandy
https://onestandardofjustice.org/Bandy-2009-Impact-of-SO-Policies-on-Victims.pdf
There's A Better Way To Get Justice For Sexual Assault Survivors
By Alanna Vagianos
"The criminal justice system is a pipeline, and it has leaks all along the way,” Dr. Mary Koss told HuffPost.
Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair
By Danielle Sered
https://thenewpress.com/books/until-we-reckon