Reverend speaks for restorative justice system
Ray Van Cleve
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: News
Reverend Walter Everett spoke about the need for restorative justice over retributive justice on Tuesday for the Office of Religious Life's final brown bag of the semester. Everett used personal experience on reconciliation with the murderer of his son to expand on this topic.
Restorative justice, said Everett, views crimes as an offense against particular people or groups within a community, rather than a crime against the state. Restorative justice seeks to "bring forgiveness and reconciliation into the process" of restoring a community once someone has committed a crime. Retributive justice continues to be the system used by the United States-a problem, said Everett.
Everett recounted a phone call he received July 26, 1987, informing him that his son Scott had been murdered. Everett said he had never expected to outlive and bury his own son. The violent nature of Scott's death was especially difficult for Everett to cope with.
Soon after Scott's death, Everett went to the apartment where he had been killed. Everett spoke to Scott's neighbors to see if they had observed anything after the murder, and if they had gone to the police with information. The neighbors all made independent observances on the night of his son's murder, but never went to the police department with the information.
After reporting this information, Everett said the police were not helpful because they had already arrested the murderer and had a case against him. Everett believed he had been wronged, feeling as if no one was concerned for his loss, only the crime against the state.
Everett felt mild relief at the sentencing of his son's murderer, Mike, particularly when he said the words "I am sorry, I wish I had never killed your son." Despite the comforts those words gave him, when he walked out of the courthouse that day he felt a little bit of the anger he had originally felt surging back.
Everett frequently thought about the apology for the next several months. Everett said eventually he decided to write Mike a letter. In his first letter Everett told Mike that he was still angry about the death of his son, but he forgave him for what he had done.
Restorative justice, said Everett, views crimes as an offense against particular people or groups within a community, rather than a crime against the state. Restorative justice seeks to "bring forgiveness and reconciliation into the process" of restoring a community once someone has committed a crime. Retributive justice continues to be the system used by the United States-a problem, said Everett.
Everett recounted a phone call he received July 26, 1987, informing him that his son Scott had been murdered. Everett said he had never expected to outlive and bury his own son. The violent nature of Scott's death was especially difficult for Everett to cope with.
Soon after Scott's death, Everett went to the apartment where he had been killed. Everett spoke to Scott's neighbors to see if they had observed anything after the murder, and if they had gone to the police with information. The neighbors all made independent observances on the night of his son's murder, but never went to the police department with the information.
After reporting this information, Everett said the police were not helpful because they had already arrested the murderer and had a case against him. Everett believed he had been wronged, feeling as if no one was concerned for his loss, only the crime against the state.
Everett felt mild relief at the sentencing of his son's murderer, Mike, particularly when he said the words "I am sorry, I wish I had never killed your son." Despite the comforts those words gave him, when he walked out of the courthouse that day he felt a little bit of the anger he had originally felt surging back.
Everett frequently thought about the apology for the next several months. Everett said eventually he decided to write Mike a letter. In his first letter Everett told Mike that he was still angry about the death of his son, but he forgave him for what he had done.
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