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This chapter is based on a study that reviewed recidivism outcomes for adult men and women imprisoned in two Hawai'i state prisons who participated in restorative justice reentry circles prior to release. These men and women were tracked for at least three years after their release. Self-selection bias by choosing to have a circle was reduced by co...
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... significant differences emerged in race of the Huikahi participants compared to the control group, as demonstrated in Table 1. Outcome analyses reveal that the circle participants performed significantly better than the control group in terms of post-prison adjustment ( Figure 1). The Huikahi circle participants demonstrated a significantly lower recidivism rate of 43.1%, compared to 58.3% for the control group (t=-1.660, ...
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While research has consistently shown that in-person prison visitation is associated with reduced recidivism, much less is known about the effects of video visits. This study compares recidivism outcomes between 885 inmates who had at least one video visit and a matched comparison group of 885 who did not receive a virtual visit. Video visits reduc...
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... The incarcerated individual who applies for a reentry circle seeks to make amends with those harmed by their behavior, and to make a plan to support their desistance from crime. An independent evaluation of the HFRJ reentry planning circles was conducted in 2016 (Davidson, 2016;Walker & Davidson, 2018). It showed that those receiving a circle had a 26% lower rate of recidivism than a control group. ...
... The demographics and criminal histories of the study and control groups were very similar, with no statistically significant differences on a number of measures, except that a greater percentage of the control group were women (43% versus 28%). The study showed that circle participants had 26% less recidivism than the control group three years after release, with recidivism rates of 43.1% versus 58.3%, respectively (Davidson, 2016;Walker & Davidson, 2018). The recidivism rate for the control group was close to the statewide recidivism rate for parolees and maximum-term releases (see Figure 1). ...
Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice has developed and implemented a reentry planning process to support incarcerated individuals as they prepare to reenter society. With 16 years of successful practice, research has shown that the program has many benefits, including reducing recidivism by 26 percent among recipients. In this paper, we use systems analysis to explore the long-term effects of a reduction in recidivism on the prison population and evaluate the economic and social benefits of such a program. The paper describes a simulation modeling method that quantifies the predicted effect of recidivism on the prison population, shows the net benefit of the reentry program, and demonstrates the usefulness of modern simulation tools in policy analysis of the criminal justice system. We calibrate the model with data on Hawai‘i state prisons. The model indicates that a 26 percent reduction in recidivism leads to a 17 percent reduction in the prison population over 15 years by reducing the number of recidivists in prison by 40 percent. Considering the marginal and average cost of imprisonment, the estimated benefits substantially outweigh the cost of the program with even the most conservative accounting of marginal costs.
... The reentry circles are known as Huikahi Circles in Hawai'i state prisons. The circles have been researched and shown to reduce repeat crime (Walker & Davidson, 2018), and to bring healing benefits for children of incarcerated parents (Walker, Tarutani & McKibben, 2015) and for other family members of incarcerated people (Walker & De Reu, 2021). The circle provides an opportunity for incarcerated individuals to make specific goals and plans, and to choose who among their loved ones and supporters they would like to invite to participate in their reentry planning process and repair any damaged relationships with. ...
This chapter describes the development and implementation of a programme providing higher and continuing education for imprisoned women in Hawai‘i. The purpose of the chapter is to show how the programme, which was based on principles of restorative justice and peace education, connects to and illustrates peace psychology. The programme consists of educational and restorative components. The education component provides women with opportunities to increase self-efficacy and personal agency. The project design motivates inner and relational peace by applying Montessori’s peace education and cooperative learning theories. The restorative re-entry planning process increases respect, empathy, and redemption. The value of respect advanced by Montessori and restorative justice is embedded in the project. Through cooperative learning and restorative re-entry planning practices, the women build supportive and peaceful relationships both internally and relationally to help decrease the structural violence that they have experienced. This chapter describes research supporting education for incarcerated women to address structural violence. The chapter includes an explanation of concepts and applications of cooperative learning and restorative re-entry planning circles and discusses their effectiveness in generating inner and relational peace. This chapter describes how education can increase incarcerated women’s personal agency, self-efficacy, and confidence, creating inner and relational peace, leading to successful re-entry and decreased domestic violence. The program addresses the connection between lack of personal agency and domestic violence, problems shared by many women, incarcerated and otherwise, throughout the world. The programme, created and conducted in Hawai‘i, could be replicated by other correctional institutions.
... De gedetineerde komt dan samen met zijn of haar netwerk (bestaande uit zowel geliefden als ondersteuners uit de inrichting) om in een interactief gesprek de doelen van de gedetineerde te bespreken en een stappenplan op te stellen om deze doelen te bereiken. Daarnaast is de cirkel een plek waar de herstelbehoeften van de gezinsleden of andere geliefden besproken kunnen worden (Walker & Davidson, 2018). ...
... Verder wordt een afname in recidive gevonden tot drie jaar na vrijkomen. Een eventueel selectie-effect werd hier verkleind doordat de controlegroep bestond uit gedetineerden die zich wel hadden aangemeld, maar voor wie het niet mogelijk was deel te nemen (Walker & Davidson, 2018). ...
This study aims to give an overview of policies on and use of restorative interventions justice (RJ) in detention for both adult and juvenile detainees. A previous account revealed a large number of available interventions. However, it is unknown to what extent these are used in practice and how they are evaluated by the professionals involved. This study was conducted to fill this knowledge gap.
The use of restorative interventions is in line with the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency’s goal of victim-oriented and restorative detention. RJ in a detention context might consist of mediated contact between incarcerated suspects or offenders and their victim(s), but also includes offender-focused interventions such as courses aimed at raising awareness and taking responsibility (also known as self-restoration), and interventions aimed at restoring the relationship with the offender’s network. All these interventions are included in this study.
The following three research questions are central to this study:
1 How is restorative justice organised in detention?
2 Which restorative interventions are available for adults and juveniles, and what do they entail?
3 How do the professionals involved view the use of restorative interventions?
... Here, too, restorative justice is highly relevant. In their form of 're-entry circles' (Walker & Davidson, 2018), restorative practices were designed to allow prisoners facing release to meet with victims or their families to jointly design a safe and beneficent re-entry plan. ...
... An independent evaluation of quantitative research results, controlled for self-selection, demonstrates that the reentry circle process also helps to reduce recidivism (Walker & Davidson, 2018). Controlling for self-selection is important when researching restorative justice (RJ) interventions. ...
... The circles are a proactive approach for successfully reentering the community and for making time served in prison more productive. The research demonstrates that circles are powerful tools to reduce recidivism (Walker & Davidson, 2018) and for providing healing opportunities for children (Walker, Tarutani, & McKibben, 2013). For the District of Hawaii, the RJ Circle Pilot Program has resulted in initial benefits that far exceed its costs. ...
In 2015 the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i Pretrial Services office collaborated with Hawai’i Friends of Restorative Justice (HFRJ), a small Honolulu non-profit, to provide and measure the outcomes of a reentry planning circle process for incarcerated individuals either facing a federal prison sentence or who had been sentenced to federal prison. In 2017 the pilot was expanded to individuals on probation under the court’s jurisdiction. The reentry planning circle model was developed in 2004 by HFRJ. The process is grounded in public health learning principles and provides both solution-focused and restorative justice approaches. HFRJ has provided over 168 circles that 749 people have participated in including 19 Hawai‘i federal court defendants along with 80 of their loved ones, pretrial services and probation office representatives. The process has been shown to increase healing for children whose incarcerated parents had circles, and an independent evaluation that controlled for self-selection, also showed the circles reduce recidivism. The process has been replicated in whole or part in other states and countries. This paper uses a case the authors worked on to examine the reentry planning process and the pilot project.
Hawai‘i is a multicultural island state that has been experimenting with a facilitated restorative reentry planning circle process for incarcerated individuals who meet with loved ones. The circle process considers loved ones' needs for repairing harm and the incarcerated person's needs for successful reentry including reconciliation with loved ones. When loved ones cannot attend a circle, they are invited to provide information over the telephone or by email to the facilitator who shares the information during the circle. This study analyzed participants' perceptions of how helpful it was for them to provide information about their needs having an incarcerated loved one. The authors predicted participants from high-context cultures would find the process less satisfying than those from low-context cultures, but the study found no differences. Despite identifying from a high- or low-context culture, all participants except one from a low-context culture found that providing shuttled information was helpful.
This chapter integrates findings about maternal involvement in the criminal justice system presented in the Brief’s six empirical chapters with what is previously known about incarcerated mothers and their children. We apply an intergenerational developmental ecological perspective to the results and discuss the attachment-related themes of separation, loss, and reunion that were addressed in the introduction. We also highlight important points from each chapter and attempt to integrate where there are intersections among issues related to prevention and intervention, gender-responsive programs, and themes of trauma, addiction, child welfare involvement, low-resource environments, and resilience. We briefly touch on issues related to the worldwide novel coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement as related to this volume and the study of incarcerated mothers and their children. Lastly, we present policy and practice implications of the research, including implications for prevention efforts for mothers involved in the criminal justice system and their children and families.
