Changing Paradigms: Punishment and Restorative Discipline [Paperback]

Paul Redekop (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0836193873 | ISBN-13: 978-0836193879 | Publication Date: December 10, 2007

Paul Redekop taps more than 20 years of experience in restorative justice to conclude that the practice of punishment is a major obstacle to healthy societies, families, and schools. Punishment is so damaging to relationships, especially in children, that it should be reassessed on philosophical, spiritual, religious grounds, Redekop argues. It should be replaced with restorative discipline, and societies should move toward a punishment-free justice system.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In Changing Paradigms, Paul Redekop adds another Anabaptist voice to the vast and steadily growing literature on punishment. Based on his decades of experience within the restorative justice field, he concludes that we cannot justify punishment on a moral or utilitarian basis. Therefore families, churches, and the Canadian and American criminal justice systems should be shaped by restorative justice principles. Redekop begins his book with a brief yet helpful review of several prior studies on punishment. Drawing on Michel Foucault and others, he also provides an insightful overview which demonstrates how punishment radically shifted from victim-oriented justice to a model in which the primary victims of crime are the authorities and the nation-state. --Directions

About the Author

Paul Redekop is associate professor of conflict resolution studies at Menno Simons College at the University of Winnipeg. He was director of mediation services in Winnipeg from 1986 to 1991. Redekop holds a masters degree in sociology from Carleton University and a PhD from York University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Herald Pr (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836193873
• ISBN-13: 978-0836193879
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,367,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful! And now for emotion, June 24, 2008

By 

Mona G. Affinito "Mona Gustafson Affinito, Ph.D." (Chaska, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Changing Paradigms: Punishment and Restorative Discipline (Paperback)

This is a truly excellent book pulling together in plain, easy-to-read English, the evidence in support of restorative justice. What a shame that we prefer to go on unthinkingly applying punishment in so many cases where the results are clearly destructive. Redekop has presented the rational argument for adopting the theory and practice of restorative discipline. What we need now is a powerful presentation of the emotional arguments for it, because evidence makes clearer and clearer that our decisions on all levels are made by our emotions, not our rational selves.

I've so many sticky markers in the book that it looks like a holiday decoration. Just two quotes from the introduction make the theme. On page 13, "Everywhere it was used, it was clear that punishment did more harm than good. it was again and again proven to be futile at best and terribly harmful at worst, whether it was employed in the justice system, in the family, in schools, or anywhere else." And on page 15 "... the only ones who benefit from punishment are the ones who do not need it."