Community Justice in the Campus Setting (page 4 of 4)

Conclusion

In order to address widespread student misconduct and to socialize students to be effective community members, we argue for an institutional response that involves collaboration between student affairs and academic programs, active student participation in judicial decision-making, and sanctioning practices that embrace restorative justice principles. Combined, we describe this as a community justice approach to campus discipline.

Since our program is so new, a formal evaluation has yet to be conducted. But so far, we have seen a reduction in student appeals (a good indication that student offenders believe they are being treated fairly), an increase in community service work and victim participation (two indicators that community needs are being addressed), and enthusiastic commitment and spirited debate among students, faculty, and staff members of the integrity board as they strive for justice and moral consensus in a small community.

References

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Bazemore, G., & Maloney, D. (1994). Rehabilitating Community Service: Toward Restorative Service Sanctions in a Balanced Justice System. Federal Probation, 58(1), 24-34.

Bazemore, G., & Walgrave, L. (1999). Restorative Juvenile Justice: In Search of Fundamentals and an Outline for Systemic Reform. In G. Bazemore & L. Walgrave (Eds.), Restorative Juvenile Justice (pp. 45-74). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

Clear, T. R., & Karp, D. R. (1999). The Community Justice Ideal. New York: Westview.

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Core Institute. (2001). 1999 Statistics on Alcohol and Other Drug Use on American Campuses. http://www.siu.edu/departments/coreinst/public_html/1999.htm (accessed April 15, 2002).

Dannells, M. (1996). Discipline and Judicial Affairs. In A. L. Rentz (Ed.), Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education (pp. 175-213). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

DeJong. W., Vince-Whitman, C., Colthurst, T., Cretella, M., Gilbreath, M., Rosati, M.& Zweig, K. (1998). Environmental Management: A Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Use on College Campuses. U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. http://www.edc.org/hec/pubs/enviro-mgnt.html (accessed October 17, 2001).

Fisher, B.S., Sloan, J.J., Cullen, F.T., & Chenmeng, L. (1998). Crime in the Ivory Tower: The Level and Sources of Student Victimization Criminology, 36, 671-710.

Kahan, D. M. (1999). Punishment Incommensurability. Buffalo Criminal Law Review, 1, 691-708.

Karp, D. R., & Clear, T. R. (Eds.). (2002). What is Community Justice? Case Studies of Restorative Justice and Community Supervision. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Perkins, H.W., & Berkowitz, A.D. (1986). Perceiving the Community Norms of Alcohol Use Among Students: Some Research Implications for Campus Alcohol Education Programming. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 961-976.

Retzinger, S. M., & Scheff, T. J. (1996). Strategy for community conferences: Emotions and social bonds. In B. Galaway & J. Hudson (Eds.), Restorative Justice: International Perspectives (pp. 315-336). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

Smith, M. E., & Dickey, W. J. (1999). Reforming Sentencing and Corrections for Just Punishment. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/175724.pdf (accessed October 17, 2001).

Warters, B., Sebok, T., & Goldblum, A. (2000). Making Things Right: Restorative Justice Comes to Campuses. Conflict Management in Higher Education, 1(1). http://www.culma.wayne.edu/CMHER/Articles/Restorative.html (accessed October 17, 2001).

Wechsler, H., Davenport, A., Dowdall, G., Moeykens, B., & Castillo, S. (1994). Health and Behavioral Consequences of Binge Drinking in College: A National Survey of Students at 140 Campuses. Journal of the American Medical Association, 272, 1672-1677.

Zehr, H. (1990). Change Lenses. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.

David R. Karp, Department of Sociology, Skidmore College,
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, (518)-580-5426, dkarp@skidmore.edu

Beau Breslin, Department of Government, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, (518)-580-5244, bbreslin@skidmore.edu

Pat Oles, Dean of Student Affairs, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, (518)-580-5760, poles@skidmore.edu

Skidmore's judicial reform has benefited from support provided by the Mellon Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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