In Touching Spirit Bear, the protagonist, Cole Mathews participates in a healing form of justice known as Circle Justice. Circle Justice is a First Nations tradition that directly involve all affected parties in the justice process. The goal of Circle, or Restorative Justice is not to punish but to heal. The hope is that the offender and the victims walk away from the process better people. As you learned in the novel, Circle Justice requires the offender to take responsibility and show remorse for their crime. The sentences handed out through Circle Justice are directly related to the crime. For example, a person who kills an animal may be required to work in an animal shelter. Over the past few years, Circle Justice has gained recognition in non-Aboriginal communities as a legitimate form of justice.Your task today is to research cases where Circle Justice has been used. You are required to link at least one (1) article relating to Circle Justice to your blog entry and comment on the case. Hint: Use a news website (ex: cbc.ca/news) not a seaqrch engine.
Possible topics to discuss in your blog entry:
1. What was the crime and who was involved? (offender and victims)
2. What was the sentence handed down?
3. How long did the process take? What was the process?
4. Was it effective?
5. Do you believe Circle Justice is an effective means of justice? Why or why not?
NOTE: These are just suggestions. This is your blog, you may respond to the article however you see fit. Your blog entry must be a minimum of two (2) paragraphs.
