MADISON — There will be a community conversation about restorative justice practices in Dane County on Tuesday, May 17, at the Urban League of Greater Madison, 2222 S Park Street, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The panel will include Jonathon Scharrer, director of the Restorative Justice Project at the UW Law School Frank J Remington Center, Ron Johnson, Coordinator, Dane County Community Restorative Court, Ismael Ozanne, Dane County District Attorney, Sheila Stubbs, Dane County Board of Supervisors, and Chief David Raasch, former chief judge of the Mohican Nation Tribal Court.
The panel will explore what the county can do to have a less punitive approach to crime and look at more merciful ways to heal communities when crimes are committed.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, “Crime and corrections are at the intersection of rights and responsibilities. Those who commit crimes violate the rights of others and disregard their responsibilities.
“But the test for the rest of us is whether we will exercise our responsibility to hold the offender accountable without violating his or her basic rights. Even offenders should be treated with respect for their rights.”
Read this document in its entirety at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/crime-and-criminal-justice.cfm
Questions to Joan Duerst, OP, 608-509-6933.