In this article, we tackle the disadvantaging conditions of zero tolerance policies in school settings and advocate using an alternative approach--critical restorative justice through peacemaking circles--to nurture resilience and open opportunity at the school level. In the process, this article builds on theory and qualitative research and…

For the past dozen years the author has been teaching, along with other volunteers, in a program called "Changing Lives Through Literature," serving the Dorchester District Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Changing Lives began as a single experiment in New Bedford in 1991 and has spread entirely by word of mouth to a dozen…

In Massachusetts, rehabilitation opportunities are graduated, increasingly intensive, and determined by the number of prior convictions for driving under the influence of liquor (DUIL). Convicted first offenders may choose participation in a 40-hour educational rehabilitation program. Individuals convicted of a second DUIL offense may participate…

A two-year study was undertaken in Massachusetts to evaluate the impact of vocational education on released ex-offenders. In the first year, evaluation procedures and interview instruments were developed, a survey of inmates was conducted, and the data collected was analyzed and summarized in a report. Since the second year of the study was not…

The purpose of the study was to investigate three separate aspects of the process by which ex-addicts-in-treatment are prepared for, enter into, and function in the world of work. These aspects were the actual labor market conditions in two different urban settings--New York City and the greater Boston area; the specific institutional supports…

This study was conducted to accomplish four objectives: (1) determine the current status of vocational education services available to youth under the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS); (2) assess the characteristics of DYS youth and their need for additional vocational programs; (3) determine employer and labor union…

An evaluation assessed the impact of the 40- and 15-hour driver alcohol education (DAE) program models on attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of driving while intoxicated (DWI) first offenders in Massachusetts. The 40-hour program evaluation studied 306 clients from 31 DAE programs; the 15-hour study group consisted of 207 clients in 23 DAE…

A multi-phased demonstration and research project was established to assist with rehabilitation problems of severely disabled and handicapped persons. Services made available were: (1) evaluation of the individual's vocational potential, (2) work and personal adjustment programs, (3) training courses not available through traditional sources, (4)…