Burglary

Although technically a nonviolent crime, burglary -- especially of a residence -- can have a significant impact on crime victims. These articles describe how restorative processes have been used to address the material, emotional, physical and relational injuries that can follow burglary.

Young vandals ordered to put Somerset factory damage right

from the article in the Western Gazette: A gang of youths who broke into a Castle Cary factory have been ordered to make amends by washing site windows and picking up rubbish by a restorative justice panel. A three-month police campaign which tracked down 14 children involved with causing £1,000 of damage to the Torbay Road factory ended last month.

The conversation: Does restorative justice work? Yes!

from the interview by Oliver Laughland in The Guardian: The Ministry of Justice is considering increasing the use of restorative justice – in which offenders are encouraged to meet their victims – as part of its forthcoming green paper on criminal justice reform. Oliver Laughland brings together 34-year-old Reggie Aitchison, a prolific offender and drug user from Widnes, Cheshire, and 72-year-old grandmother, Kathleen, whose house he burgled, to discuss their experience of going through the restorative justice process and their reflections on the crime.

I am sorry for breaking into your house

From the Letters to the Editor of the Wausau Daily Herald: Editor's note: This letter was written as part of the Marathon County Restorative Justice Program, which connects juvenile and young adult offenders with crime victims. Victims work with the offender to resolve the issue and determine restitution. Though this letter is published here anonymously, the identities of both J and Mr. M. were verified by Carrie Vergin, executive director of the Restorative Justice Program.

Arnott, John and Nation, David. House Burglars and Victims

After local research had shown that house burglary attracted the highest rate of custodial sentences, Plymouth probation officers David Nation and John Arnott developed a group programme designed to offer a credible non-custodial option and to change offending behaviour through encounters with victims and prisoners, plus reparation and crime prevention tasks. They evaluate their first four completed programmes.

Anonymous. Some Burglary Victims 'Paralysed by Fear'

Due to cultural differences, many Asian victims of burglary are sceptical of restorative justice and fear offender backlash. Many of these victims have hard time adjusting back into society and often tend to demonise their offenders. Those that have participated in victim-offender encounters, however, have been able to reconcile with their offenders. Through restorative justice, Asians are able to speak their mind without feeling the need to suppress their feelings for fear of another attack.

Anonymous. Face to Face

This article tells a story of a burglary and the positive impact that a community-based restorative justice process had for the victim’s family. The mother of the family explained her feelings and forgave the young offender, who then apologized and began to work on repayment.

Umbreit, Mark S. Victim Understanding of Fairness: Burglary Victims in Victim-Offender Mediation.

This study reports on interviews with 50 burglary victims from Hennepin County, MN to gain an understanding of their perception of fairness. The concept of fairness took on a variety of meanings for the victims; the most prominent dimension was the importance of opportunities to participate in the criminal justice process. Additional findings are presented. Three types of victims were identified: the "healer," who stresses rehabilitation for the juvenile offender; the "fixer," who stresses compensation and the need to face consequences by repairing damage; and the "avenger," who stresses firm punishment often in an institutional setting.

Murray, P and Launay, G. Victim/Offender Groups

This chapter reports on the Victims and Offenders In Conciliation (VOIC) project in the Medway towns, Kent. This program brings burglary victims together with young offenders convicted of burglary incarcerated in the Rochester Youth Custody Centre. The authors present the rationale for bringing victims and offenders together, and describe the main aspects of VOIC, including the referral system, the activities participants take part in, and their reactions to each other. Finally, the results of the evaluation is presented along with some of the problems encountered.

Ortiz, Jason and Henikman, Ross and Hargrove, Erik and Graves, Maria. Changes in Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy Changes in Response to Residential Burglary Offenders

With overtaxed correctional facilities, both in terms of budgets and space, and the prevalence of residential burglary in the United States alternatives to traditional sentences must be considered. Restorative justice practices can not only have a greater impact upon the offender, but also show promise in helping to alleviate some of the emotional injury that is suffered by residential burglary victims. (excerpt)

Van Ness, Daniel W. Doing One Thing Well: Applying Restorative Justice to A Specific Crime.

Dan Van Ness proposes that a broad-based international coalition select a particular crime that would become the subject of a global campaign to reduce its incidence and the harm resulting from it. He suggests burglary might be a likely candidate and outlines a process for laying the groundwork for such a campaign. The basic premise underlying his proposal is that most countries have not made significant commitments to restorative justice. Firmly establishing restorative justice in a part of the criminal justice system that cannot be marginalized (as might juvenile cases, for example) will make wholesale adoption of restorative justice more likely.