{"id":32806,"date":"2017-04-04T10:28:21","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T14:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=32806"},"modified":"2017-04-26T08:50:18","modified_gmt":"2017-04-26T12:50:18","slug":"emu-students-see-restorative-justice-principles-action-annual-visit-graterford-correctional-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/emu-students-see-restorative-justice-principles-action-annual-visit-graterford-correctional-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU students see restorative justice principles in action during annual visit to Graterford correctional facility"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year, a group of undergraduate and graduate students from 草莓社区 studying restorative justice travel to Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania for a unique opportunity to learn from incarcerated facilitators in the Alternatives to Violence Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“EMU’s relationship with Graterford is very unique,” said Gloria Rhodes<\/a>, professor of peacebuilding<\/a> and conflict studies who has accompanied the group several times. “We are very privileged to have this opportunity to interact with the men in the facility and learn from their experiences.”<\/p>\n

Howard Zehr<\/a>, a professor at EMU\u2019s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding<\/a>, made the initial connection between the university and the maximum security prison. In the early ’90s, Zehr created a program in which people serving life sentences met with families of homicide victims who wanted to engage in dialogue and ask questions. The result of this outreach was two books, each with photos and interviews: Doing Life: Reflections of Men and Women Serving Life Sentences<\/em><\/a> (1996) and Transcending:<\/em> Reflections of Crime Victims<\/em><\/a> (2001). [A joint art showing combining these two projects with the work of CJP graduate students can be viewed here<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

The Alternatives to Violence Program began in 1975 as a collaboration between a group at Greenhaven Prison in New York and an area Quaker group. More than 1,500 incarcerated facilitators in 100 prisons work to transform their communities both while incarcerated and upon their release. In 2014, a total of 14,230 incarcerated citizens in the U.S. took the training in 2014.<\/p>\n

Earl Zimmerman, assistant professor of Bible and religion, led the first trip of EMU students to Graterford in 2003. Three days are spent at the prison, participating in a variety of activities with incarcerated men that focus on community-building and communication skills.<\/p>\n

This year, Adrienne Derstine, a student in Professor Johonna Turner<\/a>\u2019s “Restorative Justice and Trauma Awareness” course, reflected on her learnings about healing, community-building, alternatives to incarceration and conflict transformation.<\/p>\n

Turner\u2019s course, required in the criminology and restorative justice minor<\/a>, explores core principles, values and practices of restorative justice in three major ways:<\/p>\n