Open AccessRestorative Justice for Trayvon Martin
Author(s) -
Mikhail Lyubansky
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal for social action in counseling and psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.119
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2159-8142
DOI - 10.33043/jsacp.5.1.59-72
Subject(s) - restorative justice , criminology , harm , law enforcement , sociology , enforcement , political science , law
Two cities. Two people of color fatally shot by those charged with security and law enforcement. Two communities torn apart across racial lines. One city reacts conventionally with criminal charges and court proceedings. The other similarly engages the legal system but additionally engages in a Restorative Circle, a restorative process designed to create conditions for mutual understanding and repair of harm. In this article, the case of Trayvon Martin is juxtaposed with a less well-known case in Seattle involving the death of Native American woodcarver, John T. Williams. The two cases are summarized and examined in terms of their racial dynamics and the subsequent differential impact of the restorative response on the Seattle community.