Kay Pranis first discovered peacemaking circles as a way to determine sentences in criminal proceedings. The circles bring together victims, offenders, community members, judges and police officers to discuss how best to respond to a crime.
But for Pranis, the peacemaking circle has become more than this.
In her search to address the problems currently facing the United States’ justice system, Kay Pranis found answers in a tradition dating back thousands of years.
Peacekeeping circles, in which participants sit in a circle and pass around a talking piece, have their origins in the native peoples of North America. Whoever holds the piece has permission to speak, so all voices are heard.
Week Six at Chautauqua examines the U.S. criminal justice system — what works, what doesn’t, how effective it is and how it compares to others around the world — with lectures on the theme “Crime and Punishment.”
The Chautauquan Daily 