Stephen Carter has an article in the current issue of Correctional News. Please follow this link to access the article:
http://www.correctionalnews.com/articles/2013/02/6/mister-rogers-neighborhood
The article addresses the recent decrease in the number of incarcerated individuals in the United States as a means to a more "balanced approach to justice." This approach includes an expansion of the idea of sustainability that the AAJ Sustainability Committee is working toward demonstrating: that beyond LEED certification, the practice of restorative justice is the paramount to the idea of sustainability. The location of many correctional facilities outside of towns and in isolated areas conveys a message of disconnect between the inhabitants of these facilities and the surrounding community. Practicing Restorative Justice counters this trend by distributing responsibility of the offender's successful transition to the community to both the offender and the "neighborhood."
I think the points brought up in this article are important for the broader discussion of the relationship between people and their environments, including what is and isn't part of a community's surroundings. Access to inmates through the concept of the "front door" discussed in the article is significant, as pushing them to the outskirts of a society removes them both physically and consequentially, mentally from the community. In other words, out of sight, out of mind. For an offender's successful reentry into the community, this topic should be addressed.
What are your thoughts on this article?
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Erin Costino
University of California, Irvine
erincostino@gmail.com -------------------------------------------