SAGE Journal Articles

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Martin, M. E. ((2006). Restoring justice through community policing: The northern Ireland case.Criminal Justice Policy Review, 17(3), 314-329

Principles of restorative justice guide new approaches to criminal justice policy and practice worldwide; however, scant attention is paid to policing within this paradigm. This article describes the theoretical, practice, and value dimensions of restorative justice and examines these in relation to community policing ideology and practice. It presents a policy analysis of the bold Northern Ireland police reform experience and explores the central dilemmas and opportunities inherent in transforming police within communities in conflict. In spite of substantial implementation challenges, community policing may restore justice because of the demand for a sustained peace, dynamism generated when police reform is part of larger social reform, and determination elicited from the poignant recognition of prior injustice. Through police reform, there is potential for greater local democratic control and accountability of the state social control mechanism.

Questions that apply to this article:

  1. What are the central dilemmas and opportunities inherent in transforming police within communities in conflict?
  2. How was community policing successfully adopted in connection with the peace agreement between the UK and the Republic of Ireland in 1998?

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Bader, C.J., Desmond, S.A., Mencken, F.C., & Johnson, B.R. (2010). Divine justice: The relationship between images of God and attitudes toward criminal punishment. Criminal Justice Review, 35(1), 90-106.

Some have argued that moralistic considerations trump other factors in determining attitudes toward criminal punishment. Consequently, recent research has examined how views of God influence sentiments regarding criminal punishment. Using the Baylor Religion Survey (BRS) 2005, we find that (a) angry and judgmental images of God are significant predictors of punitive attitudes regarding criminal punishment and the death penalty and (b) images of God as loving and engaged in the world are not consistently significant predictors of attitudes toward criminal punishment, once measures of God’s perceived anger and judgment are considered.

Questions that apply to this article:

  1. How have views of God influenced sentiments regarding criminal punishment?
  2. How do individuals who have angry and judgmental images of God view criminal punishment and the death penalty?
  3. How do individuals with images of God as loving and engaged in the world view criminal punishment?

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Daly, K. (2002). Restorative justice: The real story. Punishment & Society, 4(1), 55-79

Advocates’ claims about restorative justice contain four myths: (1) restorative justice is the opposite of retributive justice; (2) restorative justice uses indigenous justice practices and was the dominant form of pre-modern justice; (3) restorative justice is a ‘care’ (or feminine) response to crime in comparison to a ‘justice’ (or masculine) response; and (4) restorative justice can be expected to produce major changes in people. Drawing from research on conferencing in Australia and New Zealand, I show that the real story of restorative justice differs greatly from advocates’ mythical true story. Despite what advocates say, there are connections between retribution and restoration (or reparation), restorative justice should not be considered a pre-modern and feminine justice, strong stories of repair and goodwill are uncommon, and the raw material for restorativeness between victims and offenders may be in short supply. Following Engel, myth refers to a true story; its truth deals with ‘origins, with birth, with beginnings, with how something began to be’ (1993: 791–2, emphasis in original). Origin stories, in turn, ‘encode a set of oppositions’ (1993: 822) such that when telling a true story, speakers transcend adversity. By comparing advocates’ true story of restorative justice with the real story, I offer a critical and sympathetic reading of advocates’ efforts to move the idea forward. I end by reflecting on whether the political future of restorative justice is better secured by telling the mythical true story or the real story.

Questions that apply to this article:

  1. What does the author argue are “myths”’ about restorative justice?
  2. How does the real story of restorative justice differ greatly from advocates’ mythical true story?
  3. Is the political future of restorative justice better secured by telling the mythical true story or the real story?

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Canton, R. (2015). Crime, punishment and the moral emotions: Righteous minds and their attitudes towards punishment. Punishment & Society, 17(1), 54-72.

There is considerable criminological interest in the place of emotion in influencing views about crime and punishment. It is increasingly recognized that while politicians insist that it is ‘evidence’ that guides their policy, this claim obscures some of the emotional influences on attitudes to crime and punishment. Yet the scholarly debate has been limited by, first, an exaggerated and contrived distinction between emotion and cognition; and, second, an over-general conception of emotion which loses some critical distinctions among different types. Specifically, the emotions of punishment meet the defining criteria of moral emotions. Some of the ways in which crime and punishment may trigger our moral emotions are discussed and the ‘moral foundations’, postulated by Jonathan Haidt and his colleagues, are applied to an understanding of views about punishment. This analysis explains why views about punishment are often defended so tenaciously and debate is unsatisfactory and ill-tempered. An appreciation of the influences that shape attitudes to crime and punishment is a precondition of trying to change them.

Questions that apply to this article:

  1. How does the work of Jonathan Haidt impact research on moral foundations and views of punishment?
  2. How do people’s views of morality impact their views of punishment?
  3. According to the article, what are the most important emotions that impact the views of punishment?

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