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3 6 12 An End to Characteristics of a Couple Gives Punishment Christian University $1 Million to CMU THE CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE • FALL 2008 Editor’s Note f someone asked you where CMU was locat- ed, what would you say? I If you said Winnipeg, you’d only be partly right. CMU students can also be found throughout western Canada in fall, and in South Africa and Guatemala in winter, as part of the Outtatown School of Discipleship. It’s sort of a roving campus, moving from place to place. And not only that: Each year over 100 stu- Menno Simons College professors John Derksen, Co-editor, Lois Edmund, Book Review Editor, and dents are involved in practicum assignments in Richard McCutcheon, Co-Editor, pose happily at the September 26 celebration of the first issue of Canada and other countries—creating another Peace Research Journal produced by the College. set of “campuses” around the world. But where in Winnipeg is CMU located? If you said in southwestern Winnipeg, you’d only be partly right again. In Winnipeg, CMU has two Table of Contents: campuses: Menno Simons College, its down- town campus at the University of Winnipeg, 3 An End To Punishment? and what we now call the Shaftesbury campus, at the corner of Shaftesbury and Grant. 6 Characteristics Of A Christian University It can all be a little confusing; when somebody says that an event or course is being 9 News from CMU offered at CMU, you’ll need to ask: At which Prepare for Olympics of Life; MSC Graduation; campus? But it also illustrates CMU’s unique Alumni Blazer Awards; $1 Million Donation; character, and its strength; in a world with many needs and issues, CMU offers students Refreshing Winds; MEDA/CMU Sign Agreement; various approaches to growing and developing New Faculty Appointed; Harry Huebner Celebrated; spiritually, intellectually and personally. Where is CMU? It’s here, there and anywhere Students Canoe to School; David Bergen To Teach that CMU students are studying or serving. At Writing School; Students Practice Simplicity. John Longhurst, Editor 19 People & Events 21 Alumni News 23 President’s Message MOVING? Drop us a line, fill out the web form at www.cmu.ca/alumni.html or email [email protected] The Blazer is a publication of CANADIAN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY, published three times a year. Design and Layout by: Editor/Communications Director: John Longhurst | Alumni/Constituency Relations Coordinator: Eleonore Braun Printed in Canada by Friesens, Altona, MB | Made with recycled paper (30% recycled, 20% post consumer). SAMSON Publications agreement number 40686550 | Vol. 4, number 1. ISSN-1715-5843 DESIGNSTUDIOS Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2 Phone: 204.480.8233 | Email: [email protected] Ph. (204) 487.3300 | Toll-free: 1(877) 231.4570 | Fx. (204) 487.3858 | [email protected] | www.cmu.ca www.samsonstudios.ca On the cover: Jodi Plenert, Fort Langley, B.C., Derek Bergen, Kleefeld, Man. and Amanda Peters, Burlington, Ont., leave Founders Hall on a fall day.. 2 fall 2008 An End To Punishment? By Dr. Paul Redekop n the mid-1980s, I became involved machine and taken it off to their party; or as a mediator in a fledgling victim- any one of a thousand other possible sce- offender mediation program in narios. Winnipeg. At the time, mediation My co-mediator and I would help the par- was not yet called “restorative jus- ties gain a better understanding of each other’s tice.” That term would be coined motives and actions, and we’d work toward a several years later by Howard Zehr of resolution that might include an apology and Mennonite Central Committee, to make compensation for the harm done. This would sense of what we were trying to do in these require that the offender take responsibility for kinds of programs. offenses committed, thus allowing the victim Our program, called Mediation Services, to experience a sense of vindication. Then received a few hundred referrals from the victim could declare the matter the Crown prosecutor’s office each resolved, and there was thus no need year. The cases involved both young for the courts to pursue it further. offenders and adults accused of a But what about punishment? That range of criminal offenses, from question came up again and again. mischief and theft to assault and Everyone—police, the crown attempted murder. If the offend- prosecutors, the victims and er and the victim of the crime sometimes even the volunteer agreed to meet, I would be mediators—assumed that some asked to meet with them and sort of punishment was part of help them to reach an agree- the process, even if it took the ment that would allow the form of restitution or com- case to be “diverted” from munity service. The merits of the legal system, so that the punishment never seemed to criminal charges could be be questioned. dropped. After I left mediation ser- I never knew much about vices in 1991, and returned to the cases beforehand. On any the academic world as a profes- given night I might meet with sor of conflict resolution studies, two neighbors whose argument I began to ask: “What about punish- had escalated into a rake-swinging inci- ment? How could it be justified?” And, dent; two employees from a store, one of whom had “how useful was it, really?” tripped the other and caused her to hit her head on To answer my questions, I did a lot of reading about the cement floor; a “road rage” incident that ended up punishment. The more I read, the more I became con- with one driver smashing in the windows of another’s vinced that the practice of punishment could not be car; a group of rowdy teenagers who had stolen a drink justified on moral, religious, or utilitarian grounds. springfall 2008 2006 3 Everywhere that it was used it was clear to me that the Law Commission of Canada, for example, speaks punishment did more harm than good, that it was futile openly of the failure of the punitive system, and advo- at best and terribly harmful at worst—whether it was cates for changes in legislation that would do away with employed in the justice system, in the family, in schools, punitive responses. or anywhere else. But if punishment is morally wrong, and if it doesn’t My investigation revealed that there are two basic jus- work, what do we replace it with? Society still needs tifications for punishment. First, rules to govern behaviour, and a there is the argument for retribu- way to deal with people who break tion, sometimes referred to as the those rules. What would a jus- “moral” argument. It argues that tice system without punishment punishment should be adminis- would look like? It would look tered because it is deserved. The like a restorative justice model, second is called the utilitarian, or something that meets the needs “consequentialist,” argument. This of everyone affected by crime: the approach argues for punishment victim, the offender, the commu- primarily on the basis of its value nity and society. as a deterrent. A restorative justice model The problem with the first would make the needs of victims approach is that it is immoral to of primary importance. That’s inflict suffering on another per- unlike how it is now, where vic- son, without an expectation that tims are of secondary importance some good will come of it. Plus, in a retributive system. It could the benefits or moral disapproval also allow us to see the offender are dependent on the person being as a human being, with the same punished agreeing with the val- basic needs as everyone else. And ues of the punisher. If they share it could ground the relationship the same values, the person being between the victim and offender punished can at least understand I became convinced that in the context of a community. the reason for the punishment, the practice of punishment This would not just be a geo- even if he or she doesn’t like it. graphically defined area, but also If they don’t share the same could not be justified a fabric of safe, peaceful, respect- values, or if there is a clash of cul- on moral, religious, or ful, and caring social relation- tures (e.g. Aboriginal versus main- utilitarian grounds ships. Finally, it would locate the stream society), or if people feel victim, offender, and community disenfranchised or disconnected within the context of a society, from the culture that is meting out represented by the state, whose the punishment, this kind of understanding doesn’t responsibility it is to ensure that order is maintained. occur. And what about the Bible? The frequent invocation The problem with the second approach is that pun- of religious justifications by those who advocate for ishment really doesn’t act as a deterrent—and never punishment led me to explore those arguments more has. Studies dating back to when prisons were first closely. What I found was that while certain biblical established early in the 19th century have consistently passages can be interpreted to call for the harsh and shown that the longer someone is in prison, the more punitive treatment, they are far outweighed by pas- likely that person is to re-offend once released. Even sages that speak of love and mercy. Even in the Old 4 fall 2008 Testament, where most of the statements that appear we ensure that we get what we need. to call for punishment are found, there are others that Third, we should support and become involved call for a restorative response to transgression, and in restorative justice programs in our communities.

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