The University of San Francisco (Jesuit) alumni magazine tells the story not of redemption, but of transformation and the ability to change: the story of Leonard Rubio, who at the age of 18 murdered his girlfriend.
An excerpt from Monica Villavicencio’s account:
And this is the heart of the story, both figuratively and literally: restorative justice, which focuses on helping criminals take responsibility for their actions and understand the real and deep impact of their crimes. It also helps victims and communities heal. Restorative justice treats a crime as a violation against an individual and a community, not as an abstract offense against the state. It asks: what harm was created, and how can we repair it—or, if it can’t be repaired, what can we do to prevent it from happening again? Although its emphasis is restorative more than punitive, restorative justice is not soft on crime, nor does it shorten the sentences. One of the best examples of what it looks like is Leonard Rubio.