Bridges to Life Restorative Justice Program
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Volunteer Opportunity!
Bridges To Life needs volunteers to help make a difference in the lives of both prison inmates and victims of crime. You can help! Find out more about how you can join the Bridges To Life volunteer team.
Recent News
Bridges To Life was featured on Houston’s KTRK Channel 13. The video segment is titled, “Program developed by local man makes statewide impact.” View this video.
News Articles
Numerous articles have been published about the unique work of Bridges To Life in both local and national publications.
Awards
John Sage was honored as the first recipient of the Bert Thompson Pioneer Award for Community and Restorative Justice at the National Conference on Restorative Justice in May 2009.
Jim Buffington and Brandon Willard received 2008 Governor’s Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards
John Sage received the HYLA Liberty Bell Award and was inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Honor in 2008.
John and Frances Sage received the Samaritan Spirit Award on October 23.
Restoring Peace Book
ISBN 1-4120-3936-3
Price $10 | Buy Now
RESTITUTION
Excerpt from Chapter 10, Restoring Peace
The book answers the question, “How does restitution work?”
“Restitution is the “proof of the pudding.” It’s the action that demonstrates that you really have accepted responsibility, acknowledged accountability, and decided to do something about your offense of another. When you make restitution you do what you can to be fair with those to whom you are accountable. An offender at the Kyle unit explained it this way: “I’ve really done some bad things. In the future, I will be an asset to my city, state, country, and society. I will be a good father to my daughter.” If he does what he promised, he will make restitution.
Thus, restitution normally is an action that follows true repentance. Another way to look at restitution is to consider it an effort to reduce the “net” hurt. Businesses consider their net profits or losses as the total profit minus certain expenses. Similarly, an offender can cause a smaller net hurt by providing restitution-it is a help that subtracts from the total hurt the offender has imposed on a victim.”
Read more about Restoring Peace, Bridges to Life’s new book.
Excerpts from the book include:
- Seeing confession as the first step toward restitution.
- A discussion of the importance of repentance.
- A discussion of the importance of forgiveness.
- Seeing how reconciliation precedes restitution.
Bridges to Life Book
Restoring Peace – Using Lessons From Prison to Mend Broken Relationships details the principles used in the Bridges To Life program, combined with actual stories from victim and inmate participants. The book is intended for repairing or improving relationships with others.
Victim Comments
“The first thing that victims must do is learn to live again. This program helps them to accept that change and learn to live and trust again.”
Inmate Comments
“The best part about this program is the small group setting which allows both victim and inmate to be open and honest with one another and the trust, confidence that is built through these groups.”