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Book Review of Crime and Reconciliation: Creative Options for Victims and Offenders

Crime and Reconciliation: Creative Options for Victims and Offenders


Crime And Reconciliation describes the Indiana-based Prisoner and Community Together program (PACT), which advocates the need for victim, offender, and society to be brought together through a holistic system of justice and reconciliation. Under the program, victim and offender come together with a mediator, each attempting to understand and deal with the other as human beings. The process ends when an appropriate form of restitution to both the victim and society is agreed upon. Mark Umbreit sees PACT as a workable alternative to the present tough "law and order" stance of American judicial systems--a stance which results in the overcrowded jails and one of the highest per capita prison populations in the world. The provocative text and thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter make this unique book a valuable resource for individuals and study groups concerned with alternatives to today's criminal justice system.