Maori Justice: Keisha's Story. Thank you for sending us your comments. They will be published here and updated throughout the week.

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An important part of restorative justice is that the offender has to front up and answer for themselves. Our conventional legal system allows the offender to stay out of the dock and for their lawyer to attack the victim. We need to move to restorative justice where this is appropriate and in other cases towards the European system where judges run the cases and interrogate both parties. Such a policy is being developed by the Green Party.
Perce Harpham, New Zealand

I'm a fourth year student studying Social studies. I am currently in the process of researching this idea of 'Restorative Justice' as a possible topic for my Dissertation. Your report was very enlightening and informative. Thank you.

Erin Byrne, Ireland

She shouldn't have been dragged in front of the victim to apologise, because as far as I'm concerned, forced and feigned repentance is meaningless. She should have been told that the repentance she exuded would have an effect on her sentence. As it was, she should have been jailed, given that she was completely unrepentant. As I have fairly evangelical beliefs, I think genuine repentance should certainly have caused her to avoid a sentence, but not if none is displayed.
Graeme Phillips, UK

Facing the people who have been affected by one's crime ought to be far more effective

Evan Chapman

I am a serving Police Officer practicing Restorative justice in a variety of settings and am convinced of its benefits. I have trained in New Zealand and the UK with Helen Bowen and can assure you of the effectiveness of her and her colleague's approaches. I was very disappointed with the presentation of this documentary which served to sensationalize and polarize views of the process. It was in my view a missed opportunity to portray an effective alternative to current ineffective punitive systems of justice
Tony Walker, UK

Although Keisha went a little too far, this type of justice did not work in this case. Nor did it work for the poor chap who accidentally hit a motorcyclist. It was clear from his attitude that he was genuinely sorry for what had happened. But how can the victim ask for skiing equipment as punishment, and how can he ski when he can't even play in the park with his daughter?
David Phillips, England

The theory sounds effective and it will be interesting to see how it does work. In this country many parents of an offender would argue that their child would / did not commit and offence.
Mary Grayes, USA

First time out, two months work camp, hard labour, water and bread. Second time, a year - far more effective, far less hassle.
Conxhans, Spain

New Zealand is always the first country to try new things and I commend you for it. Present day justice systems have proven useless not only in NZ, but all around the world. Facing the people who have been affected by one's crime ought to be far more effective than just putting offenders away into an environment which they quickly grow accustomed to and eventually don't want to leave.
Evan Chapman, Japan (Australian citizen)

The lack of cosequences is having a detrimental effect on young people who honestly believe that they are untouchable

Deborah Neville

Society at large has given children too many rights before they can cope with it. As adults responsible for our children, we need to look at the values we promote consciously and subconsciously and ask serious questions of ourselves. Thanks for the programme, it gave a different perspective to a complicated problem
Andrew Fadoju, United Kingdom

I think we are in need of a system that is similar. I work with young people and lack of cosequences is having a detrimental effect on young people who honestly believe that they are untouchable and unaccountable for their actions. Consequences are part of being a functional member of society, its time our govt addressed issues around youth crime and personal responsibility.
Deborah Neville, England

I watched this program and I thought it was a lot of rubbish! The best type of punishment for people like that girl is jail.
Sarah Lumsden, UK (Scotland)

Do gooders like these do more harm than good

Yassin Dickie

I enjoyed the programme which explored some interesting themes, but there wasn't any response to the charge that the "restorative" justice system is not based on the Maori principles of justice. Other than this area, I thought the programme was very stimulating and thought provoking
Darren Gray, UK

If the girl in question that committed the crime will not apologise, she should be put in jail for one year. It seems that the victim only wants an apology and if this is to hard to give, then the attacker should be punished!
Alexander Moulton, England

What a pile of nonsense. Do gooders like these do more harm than good.
Yassin Dickie, Scotland

There is no doubt that the prevalent system of justice around the world has failed in terms of being a deterrent. In this light, study and shifting towards community & traditional justice system is a well thought and bold alternative and initiative.
Ashish Parbahakar, India

Prison appears to help very few people re-establish an identity and a life and stop them re-offending

Mary Braithwaite

Although this can be a traumatic experience for the victim, the idea of moving away from traditional custodial sentencing bears merit. Who does it help when we lock away the perpetrators of these crimes? Not the victim, certainly, not the criminal and in the long run not the society which has to deal with the institutionalised youngsters.
Stephen, Scotland

This initiative in New Zealand is interesting and reminds me of a similar approach being tried in South African prisons to help prisoners come to terms with their behaviour (and to reform it). This type of approach seems much more hopeful as it aims to address and alter not only the crime, but the underlying behavioural reasons for it. If it works it ought to be tried elsewhere in the world, as prison appears to help very few people re-establish an identity and a life and stop them re-offending.
Mary Braithwaite, Belgium

Keisha's behaviour should have been highlighted to her in terms of the effects on the feelings of others. She should have been given a better incentive to understand and change her own feelings of anger, to feel her own hurt from her violent childhood and heal herself rather than stick to a win-lose roundabout.
Edward Jones, Ireland/Australia

Only when responsibility is accepted can the process begin. It is pointless using RJ when responsibility is denied. The Maori chief hit the exact note: "it's all about emotions" If those emotions are missing, the process cannot begin.
Kim Smith, United Kingdom

I think it is far too easy for the criminal to apologise without really meaning it

Matthew Morris

If the key element of this system is for the person to express remorse then in Keisha's case it has failed. As for the UK, anything is better than the current system.
Geoff Richardson, England

As a New Zealander, I don't agree with the restorative justice scheme. I think it is far too easy for the criminal to apologise without really meaning it. I feel that the victim and victim's family should be able to air their grievances to the perpetrator but there also should be the standard legal proceedings and sentencing that follows with the traditional criminal justice system. It's not just about healing these criminals, It's about keeping them out of society way if necessary so they can't harm anyone else.
Matthew Morris, Holland

I watched your program and found it absolutely fantastic. I am a Maori and found the ideas and prospects of this form of justice enthralling and frankly one of the best programs I have seen lately. I feel that not only have I learned something about my heritage but I have learned that the Liberals have not got all the things sorted out here in England.
Michael Killen, 15, England

A good start. Keeping neighbourhood violence out of the court system requires active participation from community families. This process will identify the real culprits in these cases: some abusive and negligent parents of bullies.
Jack, USA

Violent aggression is all too common for some people who simply use it to get their own way

Richard

Fifty hours community service and forced to write a letter! Wow she must be really dreading her punishment. I'll bet that makes her think twice about doing it again (not). I wonder if the do-gooders would have recommended a letter writing session if the victim had suffered severe head injuries or brain damage? No, they'd want to know how such a dangerous pupil, was ever allowed to remain in the school in the first place.
Steve, Switzerland

I hope to read a follow up story about Dais' rehabilitation. But I won't be surprised when I don't. At some point - not at 15 - but at some point, criminal justice needs to be about permanently segregating the chronically antisocial rather than rehabilitating them.
James Thomas, USA

"Statistics show 86% of those released from prison re-offend within five years." I think you can expect that trend to go up if this type of justice is to be used for kids.
Ben, USA

. The question is: What breeds this violent attitude? Until you get to the root of the problem, this kind of attitude will not go away. Violent aggression is all too common for some people who simply use it to get their own way (or to just get some sort of attention?). I agree though that the courts have little effect in these cases. Something else must be tried.
Richard, Kiwi in Switzerland

Saying sorry was the hardest thing of all

Martyn Davis

"Taking justice into people's own hands" has been a sensitive issue. People can feel that the law enforcement agencies are helpless in bringing justice back to the people who society thinks he or she deserves. People need to realise that bringing law and order is not an emotional issue, it's a procedure of getting the facts right. Assuming a person is guilty without a trial and taking the law into the people's own hands is actually making thinks worse. Thank goodness this is in New Zealand. What about Nigeria?
Sam Huang, Taiwan (now in the UK)

'Saying sorry was the hardest thing of all' - I think that this would be true for most young offenders, I don't think that any of them ever learned to say sorry at home and therefore being made to do it publicly will have a lasting affect on their psyche. I would like to see this system in operation over here.
Martyn Davis, UK

In cases like these it is clear that parents in their early stages of parenthood have an immeasurable influence over their offspring. It is ambiguous to say who is at fault but obviously the parents should shoulder some of the responsibility of their children's actions until they are grown up. Penalizing parents should certainly galvanize parents into teaching discipline and in turn mutual respect. If only life was so simple.
Benjamin, Australia

It's the same kind of pussy-footing around that socialist countries like Ireland and Sweden are performing. A good public whipping, since the parents have not done their job, will deter the offender from re-offending.
Christian Sutinen, Ireland

An excellent system of being accountable for your actions, and then facing the results first-hand

Peter Finch

Excellent approach when the offender is young; and caught in the act. Emphasis on admitting the wrong; and rehabilitation is much better than "punishment". Society should provide active support to families bringing up kids to know right from wrong. Well fed and harmonious societies should have less crime and strife.
LeongYF, Malaysia

Restorative justice is now being tried seriously in the NZ system for young offenders, and is working. A great step forward.
Patricia Kane, New Zealand

This sounds an excellent system of being accountable for your actions, and then facing the results first-hand. I believe this is a fair and noble system; it should be used much more.
Peter Finch, England

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