(Peace Circle at the California Chowchilla Prison for Women)

Things go wrong in prison. That’s a given.

The wrongdoing ranges from the minor (tobacco contraband, for example) to the most serious (such as rape and murder). Prisons are overcrowded, hot, and volatile places, where intimidation and violence are the norm.

For egregious violations, prison officials will refer to ‘outside’ criminal justice investigation and prosecution. Most rule violations, however, are handled internally, following established Corrections policies and processes. These processes typically mirror traditional criminal justice processes including the establishment of facts and guilt; the imposition of sanctions or punishments; and established processes for inmate legal representation and the right to appeal. Prisons even have their own form of a prison within a prison: segregation.

With this post, I explore how a restorative prison could respond to wrongdoing. [Read more…]