Mary Johnson, 59, spoke with Oshea Israel, 34, at StoryCorps in Minneapolis.
Ginny H., a friend of this blog, shared this story (<—click here) from National Public Radio's StoryCorps. If you missed the NPR broadcast this morning, I urge you to invest the time to read and listen to this story. It begins with the gang-related murder of her son, Laramiun Byrd, and it extends from a conscious decision to forgive the killer to developing a loving relationship with him.
For people who champion Restorative Justice, this can only be a story of inspiration. Involving victims and offenders in restorative conferences early on might increase the likelihood of phenomenal outcomes like these. It is not an easy process, and not everyone in the justice system will even be willing to consider restorative options. But the story of Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel stands as a testimony to what is sometimes possible.
If you’re involved in neighborhood justice, or the local justice system — or, if you are just a concerned citizen who wants something more than orange jump suits for offenders, followed by the release of angry inmates into your community — and, if you think crime victims deserve a time of deep listening to their pain by the offender, the justice system and the community, maybe you will want to investigate local options for Restorative Justice (RJ).
RJ offers no easy grace or instantaneous forgiveness. It entails a difficult process to repair harms done, and to restore victims and offenders to a more compassionate community. The current system of warehousing of prisoners and neglecting crime victims does not seem to be working at all well. Is it time to investigate alternatives?
As a grandmother of a victim of violent crime and someone who has supported more than one thousand families in similiar circumstances, I have seen first hand the re-victimization of the victim/victim family by our legal system. I also have seen, although unfortunately not often enough the true healing power of forgiveness.
As a relatively new-comer to RJ, I feel more and more this is the way to make an event so horrendous not ruin lives forever. Thanks Ken for having this place we can come to to learn and connect.
Thanks for your comments! In your work with “more than one thousand families in similar situations,” have any ideas come to you regarding effective ways of converting some of these individuals to become advocates for reform of the criminal justice system? (No doubt, this would have to be done with utmost sensitivity.)
I am interested in finding ways of increasing the ranks of citizen advocates who will speak up to legislators and policy makers in support of restorative methods. This would include practices which address the individuals harmed by crimes while also attempting to bring restoration to the offender through active participation in acknowledging the harms he (or she) has done.
Restitution may take many forms, some of which may include incarceration, but it may also include specific, direct ways of repairing the damage done to the victim and the community. A benefit of this approach might be a sense of self-respect on the part of the offender, who has made a good faith effort to set things right.
I have experienced transformative correspondence with the man who murdered 2 members of my family. I have been participating in a process with men who are serving long sentences who are committed to make a difference where they are, by encouraging positive change in their younger peers, who are expecting to be released.
The process works.
This is truly amazing to me. Thank you for sharing your personal thoughts, Agnes and Janet. I honestly cannot imagine being in your footsteps or the others here mentioned in the story; it is very touching for me emotionally.