Lifers Embrace Change and Responsibility Through Restorative Justice

Richard Gross talks about restorative justice as a path to making amends, self-transformation, and building hope within the walls of SCI-Phoenix.

At SCI-Phoenix, the Lifers Inc. organization sponsored a Day of Responsibility. A few dozen outside guests joined a couple hundred inside participants for a day of speeches and discussions on the theme “Let Today Be the Start of Something New!” I spoke for a few minutes in the afternoon. Here is the text of my talk about making amends and embracing restorative justice.

Facing the Reality of Harm

My name is Richard Gross and I’d like to talk to you about making amends and embracing possibilities. The criminal legal system doesn’t force us to face our victims. It doesn’t make us admit our guilt. We don’t have to see, nor can we see, the ripple effect of the harm we’ve caused in the community. The system doesn’t require us to make amends, and some might argue that they don’t make it easy to do so.

So how can we practice restorative justice and make amends? If we want to? If we need to?

What can we do to make things “more right”? And I say ‘more right’ because we can’t restore the before. Even if you paid back money you stole it would not restore the trust that the victim had before. You can say you’re sorry but what does that do? A survivor in my case wrote: ” All the sorrys in the world won’t change anything.” He is right. Saying sorry isn’t enough and it is almost like a demand for forgiveness.

Steps Toward Restorative Justice and Self-Improvement

People in society, the community, our families, and victims want to know what we are doing in here to fix us. What can we do when we can’t change what we did? One thing we can change is ourselves. Matter-of-fact the ONLY thing we still control in here is ourselves. We can begin to make amends—and take part in restorative justice—by improving ourselves.

Anger Management is a DOC program and a great place to start. There are groups sponsored by LIFERS inc. that you can volunteer for. Prison Literacy Project, a poetry group, and Just Listening, who are well represented here today. The Alternatives to Violence Project is an all volunteer group that changes lives. It is run by Let’s Circle Up who also do restorative justice education workshops that focus on responsibility, respect, and relationships. These programs are among the most effective restorative justice efforts inside SCI-Phoenix.

Living in a Life-Giving Way

Another way to make amends is to be life giving. For those of us who have taken human life it is essential, imperative, to live in a way that is life giving. By this I mean being positive, affirming, supportive of those around us. Responsible, honest, respectful of ourselves and others. To be helpful, like pushing a wheelchair without being paid to do it. To be hopeful. When I came to jail with a life sentence I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn’t a tunnel, more like a cave full of scary stuff. The groups I’ve volunteered for and the people in them have given me hope. To be charitable. Donate money, or books to the library if you can.

Restorative Justice in Action

Many of the people here do volunteer work, both inside and outside of prison. I know they get a good feeling from it. There may be no greater reward than the feeling you get from helping others.

In the workshops I’ve attended I have met the best people in the jail. The outside volunteers are the best people in the world. Each time we use these tools to resolve conflict or support someone’s growth, we’re actively engaging in restorative justice.

I have met a lot of guys in the dozens of workshops I have facilitated. Many of them are out there now using their AVP skills to avoid violent outcomes when conflict occurs. It is my hope that I have helped to prevent a violent act, thus restoring a little balance, making a contribution to the other side of the scale. Amends for my violent act, or at least a payment on a debt.

Programming works when people want to work on themselves and have a safe place to do it. A safe space where they can take off the mask, let down their guard, admit weaknesses, failures, and guilt. We need to create more safe spaces for self improvement.

Rejecting Irreparable Corruption

“Irreparable Corruption” is the rationale for Life Without Parole. The idea that some people can’t be fixed. I reject this notion in its entirety! None of us are the same person we were ten, twenty, thirty years ago. We are all capable of great change, and collectively we can change our communities and our world.

Let us embrace the possibility of building restorative justice communities—nonviolent, respectful, and inclusive—inside and out. Let us imagine a world without violence, without hate, without exploitation and let this day of responsibility be the start of that!

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