Widely known as “the grandfather of restorative justice,” Zehr began as a practitioner and theorist in restorative justice in the late 1970s at the foundational stage of the field. Zehr continues in this third decade to deepen the principles of restorative justice and grow its practice worldwide. He has led hundreds of events in some 25 countries and 35 states, including trainings and consultations on restorative justice, victim-offender conferencing, judicial reform, and other criminal justice matters. His impact has been especially significant in the United States, Brazil, Japan, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Britain, the Ukraine, and New Zealand, a country that has restructured its juvenile justice system into a family-focused, restorative approach, causing a dramatic drop in youth crime.FOUNDATIONAL WRITINGS
The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2002) translated into 11+ languages, frequently used as a textbook with over 80,000+ sold.
Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1990: revised 1995; Third Edition 2005) published in at least seven languages, considered a seminal work in the restorative justice field.
Critical Issues in Restorative Justice (ed., with Barb Toews) (Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2004).
Retributive Justice, Restorative Justice (New Perspectives on Crime and Justice No. 4) (Akron, PA: MCC, 1985) the first published statement on restorative justice.
HIGHLIGHTS
Directed the first Victim Offender Reconciliation Program in the U.S. 1978-82. Considered a primary founder of the restorative justice field.
Helped dozens of communities in the U.S. and elsewhere start restorative justice programs.
Appointed by U.S. Sentencing Commission to their Victims Advisory Group, May 2008.
Appointed by federal court in the Oklahoma City bombing trial of Timothy McVeigh to assist the defense in working with victims. This work has developed into ongoing defense-based victim outreach in death penalty cases.
Testified twice before the subcommittee on Criminal Justice of the House Committee of the Judiciary (once on a sentencing bill, once on the Victims of Crime Act), 1984.
Audience with Pope John Paul II on capital punishment issues.
As co-director of Social Science and the Law Project, Talladega College, Alabama, trained
students to conduct jury research for legal defense teams in criminal cases in Alabama.
AWARDS
Michael Sattler Peace Prize, German Mennonite Peace Committee, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeiden in Deutschland, 2010.
International Peace Award 2006, Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri, 2006.
Lifetime Achievement Award, Journal of Law and Religion, Hamline, University, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2006
The Howard Zehr Award (first annual award), Restorative Justice Association of Virginia, 2005.
Annual Peacebuilder Award, New York Dispute Resolution Association, Albany, New York, 2003.
Restorative Justice Prize, Prison Fellowship International, Toronto, Canada 2003.
Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster, ongoing.
SELECT JUSTICE PHOTO DOCUMENTARY BOOKS
Transcending: Reflections of Crime Victims (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2001). (Japanese edition, 2006)
Doing Life: Reflections of Men and Women Serving Life Without Parole (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1996). (Japanese edition, 2006)
What is Will Happen to Me? When a Parent is in Prison (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, in process)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS ON JUSTICE
Critical Issues in Restorative Justice (ed., with Barb Toews) (Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press: 2004).
The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding (General series editor) (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2005).
The Little Book of Contemplative Photography (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2005).
The Little Book of Family Group Conferencing, New Zealand Style (With Allan MacRae) (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2004).
The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2002). (Translated into Japanese, Czech, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese et. al.; an adapted version, with Ali Gohar, published in Pakistan in English, Pashto, Urdu and Persian; also translated in Iran and other countries).
Transcending: Reflections of Crime Victims (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2001). (Japanese edition, 2006).
Doing Life: Reflections of Men and Women Serving Life Without Parole (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1996). (Japanese edition, 2006).
Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1990; revised 1995; Third Edition 2005). Published in Russian (1998), Japanese (2003), Ukranian (2004), Korean (2006), Arabic, Portuguese and other languages.
"Restorative Justice and the Death Penalty" in Restorative Justice in Unusual Places: An
Anthology, John P. J. Dussich and Jill Schellenberg, editors, Monsey (New York: Criminal Justice Press, 2010)
Crime and the Development of Modern Society: Patterns of Criminality in Nineteenth Century Germany and France (London, UK: Croom Helm, 1976). Frequently cited as a standard work in the history of crime.
BOOKLETS AND HANDBOOKS
Handbook of Defense-Initiated Victim Outreach (Atlanta, GA: Georgia Council for Restorative Justice, 2007).
Victim Offender Conferencing in Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice System. (Harrisburg, PA: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1998) With Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz.
Death as a Penalty: A moral, practical and theological discussion (Akron, PA: MCC, 1983, 1985, 1987).
Retributive Justice, Restorative Justice (New Perspectives on Crime and Justice No. 4) (Akron, PA: MCC, 1985).
Who is My Neighbor: Learning to Care for Victims of Crime (Akron, PA: MCC, 1984.).
VORP: An Overview of the Process (Valparaiso and Elkhart, IN: MCC and PACT, 1983).
VORP Organizer's Handbook (Valparaiso and Elkhart, IN: MCC and PACT, 1983).
VORP Case Management and Information Management (Valparaiso and Elkhart, IN: MCC and PACT, 1983). With Mark Chupp.
Mediating the Victim Offender Conflict (Akron, PA: MCC, 1980; 5th ed. 1990). (Korean edition, 2002. Also in Spanish).
VORP Volunteer Handbook (Elkhart, IN: PACT, Inc. 1980; later editions by MCC; most recent update by Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz).
JUSTICE – ARTICLES, CHAPTERS, WEB
“The Intersection of Restorative Justice with Trauma Healing, Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding, Journal for Peace and Justice Studies, Vol. 18., No. 1-2, 20-30.
“The Role of Restorative Justice in Peacebuilding,” Peace Prints: South Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring 2008, 19-36.
"Restorative Justice in Death Penalty Cases: Defense-Initiated Victim Outreach,” John Dussich and Jill Schellenberg (eds), Restorative Justice in Unlikely Places (forthcoming).
“Why Can’t We Just Apologize?”, Crime Victims Report, Vol 11, No. 3, July/August 2007 p. 38.
“The promise and challenge of restorative justice for victims,” Safer Society, (UK) No. 32, Spring 2007 (with Mary Achilles).
“Slavery Apology: admit wrongs; realize lasting impact,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution op-ed, 3/13/07.
“Capital Punishment is about vengeance, not justice,” Sojourners, April 2007 (46-47).
“Penal Punishment and Restorative Justice in the Modern Age,” Waseda Proceedings of Comparative Law, Vol. 9, 2006 (Japan).
“Signposts and markers on a circuitous road: Standards and values in restorative justice,” in New Frontiers in Restorative Justice, Warwick Tie, Shirley Juelich and Vicky Walters (eds.). (Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Center for Justice and Peace Development, 2006).
“The Ideas of Engagement and Empowerment,” in Handbook of Restorative Justice, Dan Van Ness and Gerry Johnstone (eds.) (UK: Willan, 2006) (Co-author Jennifer Larson Sawin).
“Listening to Victims: A Critique of Restorative Justice Policy and Practice in the United States,” (co-authored), Federal Probation, June 2004.
ARTICLES, CHAPTERS, WEB CONTINUED“Evaluation and Restorative Justice Principles,” in New Directions in Restorative Justice: Issues, practice, evaluation, Elizabeth Elliott and Robert M. Gordon (eds.) (UK: Willan Publishing, 2005). Also published in Slakmon, Catherine, Maíra Rocha Machado and Pierpaolo Cruz Bottini (eds.), Novas Direções na Governança da Justiça e da Segurança (Brasília and São Paulo, Brazil: D.F.: Ministry of Justice of Brazil, United Nations Development Programme and the School of Law of the Getulio Vargas Foundation, 2006).
Commentary in Susan Guarino-Ghezzi et. al., Understanding Crime: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Anderson Publishing, 2005).
Preface and chapter in China: Prospects for Criminal Justice (in Chinese), Criminal Justice: Restorative Justice Studies Anthology Collection. (Research Institute of Crime Prevention and Control, Faculty of Law, Nanjing University; and Prison Fellowship International, 2005).
“Commentary: Restorative Justice – Beyond Victim-Offender Mediation,” in Conflict Resolution Quarterly – Special Issue: The Case for the Field. Fall-winter 2004, Vol. 22:1-2.
“A Restorative Framework for Community Justice Practice” in Criminology, Conflict Resolution and Restorative Justice, Kieran McEvoy and Tim Newburn (eds.) (UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003). With Harry Mika.
“Ways of Knowing for a Restorative Worldview,” in Restorative Justice in Context: International Practice and Directions, Elmar Weitekamp and Hans-Jurgen Kerner, eds. (UK: Willan Publishing, 2003). With Barb Toews Shenk. Also published in Slakmon, Catherine, Maíra Rocha Machado and Pierpaolo Cruz Bottini (eds.), Novas Direções na Governança da Justiça e da Segurança (Brasília and São Paulo, Brazil: D.F.: Ministry of Justice of Brazil, United Nations Development Programme and the School of Law of the Getulio Vargas Foundation, 2006).
“Retributive Justice, Restorative Justice,”(Originally published as Occasional Paper No. 4, New Perspectives on Crime and Justice Series (MCC Canada Victim Offender Ministries Program and MCC Office on Crime and Justice, 1985) in A Restorative Justice Reader: Texts, Sources and Context, Gerry Johnstone (ed.) (UK: Willan, 2003)
"Rethinking God, Justice, and Treatment of Offenders." Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 34.3-4 (Spring 2002): 235-255 (with Ted Grimsrud).
“Journey to Belonging,” in Restorative Justice: Theoretical Foundations, Elmar Weitekamp and Hans-Jurgen Kerner, eds. (UK: Willan Publishing, 2002).
"To Whom Am I Accountable" in Into the Eye of the Storm, John Paul Lederach and Janice Moomaw Jennner, eds. (CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002). With Clement M. Aapengnuo.
”Restorative Justice,” in Peacebuilding: A Field Guide, Luc Reychler and Thania Paffenholz, eds. (London, UK: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001).
“Restorative Justice and Substance Abuse: The Path Ahead.” Youth and Society: Special Issue – Bringing Restorative Justice to Adolescent Substance Abuse Vol. 33 No. 2 (December 2000) 314-328. With Barb Toews.
”Restoring Justice” in God and the Victim: Theological Reflections on Evil, Victimization, Justice and Forgiveness, Lisa Barnes Lampman and Michelle Shattack, eds. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 1999).
”The Meaning of Life: Working at the Healing Edge,” Offender Program Report, Vol. 3, No. 1 (May/June 1999).
“Restorative Justice: The Concept,” From Aids to the Internet: Correctional Realities, (American Corrections Association, 1999).
"Us and Them’: A Photographer Looks at Police Pictures: The Photograph as Evidence,” The Contemporary Justice Review, June/Sept. 1998.
”Justice as Restoration, Justice as Respect,” The Justice Professional, Vol. 11, 1998, 71-87.
Restorative Justice, Contemporary Justice Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1998. With Harry Mika.
”Justice Alternative: A Restorative Approach,” The Corrections Psychologist, Vol. 30, No. 1, January 1998.
”Restorative Justice: When justice and healing go together,” Track Two, Dec. 1998 (South Africa).
”Restoring Justice,” in The Other Side, Sept.-Dec. 1997.
"Restoring Justice," in Capital Punishment: A Reader, ed. by Glen Stassen (Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 1997).
"Justice Alternatives: A Restorative Perspective" Imbizo, February, 1996 (South Africa).
"Restorative Family Group Conferences: Differing Models and Guidelines for Practice," Federal Probation, September, 1996. With Mark Umbreit.
"Restorative Justice," in Re-Thinking Criminal Justice, Vol. I: Justice in the Community, edited by FWM McElrea (Auckland, New Zealand: Legal Research Foundation, 1995), pp. 1-24.
"Justice Paradigm Shift? Values and Visions in the Reform Process," Mediation Quarterly, Special Issue, Victim and Offender Mediation: International Perspectives on Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring, 1995, edited by Harry Mika, 207-216.
"The Meaning of Life: Portraits and Interviews with Women and Men Serving Life Sentences," The Other Side, March/April 1995, 29-43 (photos and essay).
"Photography and a Life Sentence," Photo District News, March 1995, 118-120.
"Criminologists, Practitioners Respond to Arguments Against 'Legal Punishment'," National Prison Project Journal, Spring, 1994 (contributor).
“Justice that heals - the vision,” “Justice that heals - the practice,” “Kim Hill talks to Howard Zehr" (New Zealand National Radio interview); "The Meaning of Life" (photo essay) - Stimulus, Aug. 1994 (New Zealand).
Justice: Stumbling Toward a Restorative Vision," in Justice: The Restorative Vision (New Perspectives on Crime and Justice No. 7), (Akron, PA: MCC, 1989).
"Crime is a Peace Issue: A New Call to Justice Making," Brethren Life and Thought, Winter, 1984, 43-48. With Bob Gross and Faye Honey Knopp.
"Victim Offender Reconciliation: An Incarceration Substitute?" Federal Probation, December 1982, 63-68. With Mark Umbreit.
"Victim Offender Reconciliation Program," in Ron Kraybill, ed., Repairing the Breach: Ministering in Community Conflict (Akron, PA: MCC, undated).
"The Injustice of Criminal Justice in America," in Diane Z. Umble, ed., Choices for Human Justice: How to Care About the Poor, Disabled, Abused, Oppressed (Harrisonburg, VA: Choice Books, 1978).
The Juror Evaluation Cookbook (Talladega AL: Talladega College, undated).
