The punitive justice system of retribution vs. the restorative justice system of repairing harm.

Many of our spiritual ancestors embraced the abolition of slavery in the United States, and those who did so are rightly celebrated as heroes of our faith! However, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished enslavement “except as a punishment for crime.” It is time we finished the job they started. As Unitarian Universalists, we believe that “every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.”

What would it look like if we abolished not only the for-profit Prison-Industrial Complex (PIC), but the punitive justice system of retribution and replaced it with the restorative justice system of repairing the harm caused by the wrongdoer and giving the victims a voice in the resolution?

All are welcome. Come as you are.