Healing a Fractured Community: The Use of Community Sentencing Circles in Response to Hate Crimes

Authors

Brian Sapir, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

As with any social construct, the American criminal justice system is a constantly adapting and evolving mechanism that is influenced by politics, current events, and societal "hot-button" topics. Over the last century legal professionals, academics, and crime victims have voiced their dissatisfaction with certain aspects of traditional criminal justice systems. The failure of severe punishments to deter crime, the increasing occurrence of repeat offenders, and the growing costs of incarceration were all issues some saw as weaknesses in the criminal justice system. Moreover, at the heart of many people's dissatisfaction with the system was the seemingly complete exclusion of the victim from the legal process and the general focus on the offender instead of the victim. These shortcomings of the current system provided the impetus for the modern Restorative Justice movement.

Disciplines

Dispute Resolution and Arbitration | Law

Recommended Citation

Brian Sapir, Healing a Fractured Community: The Use of Community Sentencing Circles in Response to Hate Crimes, 9 Cardozo J. Conflict Resol. 207 (2007).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cjcr/vol9/iss1/8