Breton, Denise. The Mystic Heart of Justice: Restoring Wholeness in a Broken World (Swedenborg Foundation Publishers, 2001)

This philosophical and spiritual look at justice begins, predictably, with a critique of the existing justice system but casts its net widely, examining the pervasive feelings of guilt and failure, the sense of separateness that all external reward-and-punishment systems create--whether in families, schools, businesses, or courts. We feel that we are being judged constantly; we even internalize messages that we are "no good." Perhaps worse, inner motivation is destroyed by rewards and punishments, so that creative expression wanes, a loss for individuals and society alike. The alternative is to create a justice system that is not from "outside in" but "inside out." Looking at astonishing examples among Native Americans, the authors show that many human cultures over thousands of years flourished without resorting to reward-punishment systems. Indigenous peoples, for instance, affirmed the uniqueness of each individual, crafting social forms that drew out that uniqueness. The results were cohesive societies that can serve as models for changing our fundamental approach to fairness today. Realizing that most readers will wonder what a different system might be, the authors turn to the restorative justice movement and its successes all over the world, providing examples of victim-offender mediation that will convert the most hardened skeptic. For a larger scale, they turn to the Ojibway-Cree Hollow Water community, which has revolutionized ideas of justice in Canada. Denise Breton is one of the finest philosophers writing today, able to present difficult subjects in engaging ways to the public. Now, with her co-author (her former editor at Hazelden), she has produced a definitive critique of our present socialization system, with its inaction in the face of suffering and its instilling of fear and guilt society-wide. To this "counterfeit" justice, they pose the alternative of rediscovering our souls, that powerful inner uniqueness that is the basis for true community.

Carter, Jimmy. Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation (Puffin, 1995)

From a global leader and human rights advocate whose commitment to public service has reached from Georgia to the White House to developing countries around the world comes a remarkable discussion of the foremost issue of our time: peace.

This book is the first by a former United States president to address younger readers. Part personal narrative and part thoughtful exposition of current history, the vivid text examines the causes and effects of conflict and explains the urgent call for nonviolent conflict resolution in the world today. The author introduces readers to the peacemaking techniques that he developed in the Oval Office and has continued to use at the Carter Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, a nonpartisan public-policy organization that he and his wife, Rosalynn, founded in 1982. Among other projects, the Carter Center has monitored elections in Latin America and Africa, conducted mediation talks between parties in conflict, brought improved cultivation methods to thousands of African farmers, and spearheaded the global attack against several deadly diseases.

Cornwell, David J. and Tony Cameron.  Criminal Punishment And Restorative Justice: Past, Present And Future Perspectives (Waterside Press, 2006)

Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice is an appraisal of the divide that exists between punitive and restorative methods. The book looks at events that serve to restrict a greater and more emphatic adoption of restorative justice and its huge potential in contemporary criminal justice developments. In an era of increasing and worldwide reliance on imprisonment and other punitive methods, the author argues that justice and communities would be far better served by a more enthusiastic and early shift to restorative methods. Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice provides an international perspective on how restorative justice can bring about an altogether more enlightened approach to dealing with offenders and victims alike, against a backdrop of often spurious, traditional justifications for punishment. While acknowledging the need for a constructive use of custody and other corrections in response to serious crime, the author points out that the present over-reliance on custody can be reduced by challenging offenders to take responsibility for their offenses and to make practical reparation for their wrong-doing and repairing the harm that they have caused. The book also assesses the potential of restorative justice to make corrections more effective, civilized, humane, and pragmatic in terms of finding solutions to crime on the basis of sound principles and information, not political expediency.

Evans, Katherine and Dorothy Vaandering. The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education: Fostering Responsibility, Healing and Hope in Schools (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding) (Good Books, 2016)

Much more than a response to harm, restorative justice nurtures relational, interconnected school cultures. The wisdom embedded within its principles and practices is being welcomed at a time when exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies are recognized as perpetuating student apathy, disproportionality, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Relying on the wisdom of early proponents of restorative justice, the daily experiences of educators, and the authors’ extensive experience as classroom teachers and researchers, this Little Book guides the growth of restorative justice in education (RJE) into the future. Incorporating activities, stories, and examples throughout the book, three major interconnected and equally important aspects of restorative justice in education are explained and applied:

• Creating just and equitable learning environments
• Building and maintaining healthy relationships
• Healing harm and transforming conflict

The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education is a reference that practitioners can turn to repeatedly for clarity and consistency as they implement restorative justice in educational settings.

(to order contact the new publisher directly: Kathryn Mennone )