Educational Media Reviews Online

In a typical criminal justice sentencing, an offender that is tried and found guilty of a crime is removed from the community, in the belief that his/her isolation is good for the victims and for society. This video is about an alternative conflict resolution method called "circle sentencing". At its most basic level, circle sentencing involves the offender, the victim(s), the families of both perpetrator and victim, peers and elders, and criminal justice professionals. Its goal is not to isolate or punish the offender. Instead, the goal is on healing the perpetrator, the victim(s), and the community.

This video focuses on the use of circle sentencing in Native communities in the Yukon territories of Canada, the first North American jurisdiction to use sentencing circles in combination with the formal justice system. The history of circle sentencing in the Yukon can be traced back to the aboriginals who used similar methods in dealing with conflict. At the beginning of the video, an ancient story is recounted about a young man who killed another young man in the tribe. His "punishment", agreed to by the families of the men involved, was to live with the murdered man's family and to try to become the best son that he could be to his new family. Such a case would not go to circle sentencing today, but it illustrates that this mode of conflict resolution has its roots in aboriginal culture.

A significant portion of Circles addresses the reasons why Native people (mostly young men) make up a large percentage of the prison population. Chief among these is the forced removal (beginning in 1890) of Native children from their families to boarding schools. The parenting skills of individuals from at least two generations have been lost. As a result, there is a high incidence of violence in the family, which begins a vicious cycle, extending beyond the family out to other members of the community.

A major reason that sentencing circles are successful is that they only accept offenders that have expressed a willingness and a desire to change. In a typical case, the "sentence" is agreed to by all present in the circle. The circle can suggest just about anything. Typically, it recommends apologizing to the victim(s), counseling, performance of community service, alcohol/drug rehabilitation if warranted, restitution to the victim(s), even doing chores. Periodically, the circle reconvenes to make sure that the terms of the sentence are being met. Many cases are resolved in this manner. If the offender does not live up to the terms of the sentence, he/she goes back to traditional court and is given a prison sentence.

This is an excellent video on a fascinating topic. It deserves a broad audience. The stories of the individuals that are portrayed are compelling ones. The video, audio, and editing are of the highest quality. One minor distraction should be mentioned -- the natural beauty of the Yukon landscape that is captured so well by the photographers sometimes overpowers the message that the director is trying to impart.

Highly recommended for public libraries and for academic media collections supporting programs in Criminal Justice, Native American Studies, Law, History, and Sociology.