Restorative justice (Book Review Sample)

Restorative justice in criminal justice Students name University Course Professor Date Restorative justice in criminal justice Shannon Moroney’s through the glass is a great book that takes its readers through a journey of broken trust, betrayal, many hardships, and eventually a happy ending. This is illustrated by how the book is broken down; the shattering, aftershocks, rubble and finally rebuilding. When I began reading this book thought it was just a simple fiction story, most likely a cliché romance. This is because begins with a happy lady writing thank you notes for the wedding gifts she received. As I proceeded, I noted that the book lacked the usual exaggeration commonly used in romance novels, and the first twist was too early in the story, which made me rethink my assumption. Instead, my curiosity was piqued, and my motivation to delve deeper and satisfy it grew even more. Through the glass is a story that begins in November 2005 when thirty-three-year-old Shannon is attending a conference away from home. It is her last day of the conference, and she is eager to learn and then go back home to her husband. Her anticipation is seen with how she is up early to organize her things to leave immediately after the day's sessions are over (Moroney, 2014). Another reason she is excited to go home is that she thinks she might be pregnant, and her husband had promised to celebrate as they confirm whether they were bringing a new life into the world. Shannon’s thoughts are interrupted when she gets a call saying there is someone to see her and if her colleague should bring that person up. She wonders why this person cannot come alone, but her query is soon answered when she sees a police officer. Her first thoughts are her parents got into an accident, but she is assured that no one is dead (Moroney, 2014). This is when she gets the news that would change her life forever; her husband was arrested for sexually assaulting two women the previous night. Of course, she is shocked since she could not picture her gentle and kind husband doing such a thing. She is asked to report to the police station in her hometown and calls her parents to pick her up. When they arrive, she goes with them to the station, where they are briefed of everything, including her house, being a crime scene, so she stays with her parents. At this juncture, Shannon describes how she met her husband, Jason. Jason and Shannon met in February 2003 at a restaurant where Jason worked, and Shannon was a volunteer with a group from the school where she worked as guidance and councilor (Moroney, 2014). They hit it off very well from the beginning, leading to a date they both enjoyed. However, during their second date, Shannon was introduced t Jason’s dark side, the part that most people did not know. He told her he was in prison for ten years because of a murder and was out on parole for five years then (Moroney, 2014). Despite it being too early, Jason wanted her to know everything about him at the early stages of their relationship before she gets attached to him and later have regrets. After the discussion, Jason gave Shannon the contacts of his psychologist and parole officer and talked to them about Jason. As any person looking to settle, Shannon did not want a complicated relationship. She had a lot to think about and doubted if she was brave enough to be with Jason. Her issues ranged from if he was still dangerous to the stigma their children would face growing up with a father who has been to prison (Moroney, 2014). These matters weighed heavily on her to the extent that she requested to date another man. All that while she was constantly visiting Jason’s parole officer and psychologist, who assured her that Jason was clean and their best guy. Eventually, she decided to be with Jason, and with time, they knew each other's family. After two years of being together, they got married one month before the beginning of the story. The story progresses throughout the events after Jason's arrest until his sentencing, which was three years later. Meanwhile, Shannon goes through all stages of stigmatization and alienation from the community, not to forget losing her job and the post-traumatic stress disorder she developed (Moroney, 2014). The positive thing she did was attend her master's degree in child affairs which she passed with a distinction. After the sentencing, Shannon and Jason divorced but remained close as friends. Jason allowed her to tell her story, which led her to be a speaker in conferences about restorative justice and helping whenever she could. The book ends with Shannon meeting mike, a man who understood her and admired her courage. Eventually, they go out, and she agrees to marry him, which is our happy ending. According to the story, restorative justice is when the offender and the offended do not focus on revenge but on getting better. It is a legal doctrine that emphasizes mediation and agreement over punishment. Offenders must accept responsibility for their actions and make amends with victims. For instance, they have those victim and offender meetings where the victim opens up about their feelings and how what happened has affected them, plus the questions giving them sleepless nights. In turn, the offender expresses their sincere regret and shows remorse while answering the questions. It might hurt, but it is the first step of healing. In the book, the situation in Rwanda is given as an example; how the war between Hutu and Tutsi ended and how the offending party owned up to their mistakes. Restorative justice worked, and in less than fifteen years, Rwanda, which was previously a warzone, became one of the safest countries in Africa. Also, in one of the many conferences she attended, Shannon met a man whose daughter was killed by her boyfriend. The man met with the boyfriend's father, and they found comfort in their grief because the man, too, had lost his son that day (Moroney, 2014). During the last hearing, even though Jason was still punished, he accepted the responsibility of harm and tried to make amends. It is not e...