A Healing Process

On a summer day, Kimberly Powell’s teenage son Allante walked to his pastor’s house. After leaving his pastor’s, Allante decided to stop at a friend’s before heading home. To get there, he walked through a park on Detroit’s West side – a shortcut.

Witnesses shared what happened next: A man approached Allante. The boy started to run. He was shot in the back.

“My baby was killed and no one knows why or who did it,” Powell said, sharing her story in front of nearly 100 people at the University of Michigan-Dearborn-organized Restorative Justice Summit on April 29 at the Macomb Correctional Facility. “I was confused, angry, depressed. I wanted answers. But there wasn’t a suspect. No one could give me answers; there wasn’t any type of justice. No closure for me or my baby.”

But Powell said she found a form of solace in what she initially thought was a very unlikely place – a prison.

Through her community activism and volunteerism, she learned about a victim offender mediation program at Macomb Correctional Facility, organized by Jessica Taylor of the Chance for Life Organization. This was her first exposure to Restorative Justice, a transformational process that strives to repair the harm, rather than focusing on punishment.

Powell took part in mediated conversations with convicted criminals, one aspect of the Restorative Justice approach.

“People might think it’s strange that a mother who lost her son has found peace in talking to men who have done this to others. But through this process, and it was a process, I saw humanity. I saw that we are all victims,” Powell said.

“If sharing my son’s story, my story, changes a heart and then that man goes out and speaks to other inmates – some that might be eligible for parole in the future – what happened to my son might prevent this from happening to someone else in the future.”

And Powell is not alone – according to the Centre for Justice and Reconciliation, 78 percent of victims/survivors who took part in the Restorative Justice process would recommend it to others.

Sociology Associate Professor Paul Draus said that was a purpose of the Summit – to educate others on how this alternate way of handling criminal behavior can be a beneficial avenue for all involved. This event, where Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein gave the keynote address, was a follow-up to the October 2014 Restorative Practices Summit that took place on campus.

Draus and Professor Emerita Lora Lempert have worked with Michigan Department of Corrections inmates for years through the University’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a regular course offering where UM-Dearborn students and incarcerated men share classroom space and learn together.

Inmates at the Macomb Correctional Facility, even the ones serving life sentences without possibility for parole, are the ones who asked if they could learn more about the Restorative Justice process, Draus said. Draus said he supplies the men with educational materials and facilitates the teaching – but the men are the ones who have taken the initiative.

“The Restorative Justice program is completely elective. There isn’t a completion date or certificate,” Draus said. “It’s for those who are ready to take responsibility for their actions. These men want to give back and help repair the harm that they have caused.”

At the Restorative Justice Summit, Kim Powell looked at inmate Steven Hibbler. They had spoken previously about her son’s murder through the Restorative Justice process. She encouraged Hibbler, who is serving a life sentence without parole for first-degree murder, to share with the audience what he had previously told her.

After a thoughtful pause, Hibbler said through a shaking voice, “Your words have sparked something in me. I can feel your pain. I don’t know who did this to your family, but I want to apologize to you and tell you that I’m sorry for the loss of your son.”

Judges, corrections officers, police and others in attendance sat in silence and listened to the exchange taking place in front of them.

Powell, with tears in her eyes, thanked Hibbler for his words. She also said she was grateful for the Restorative Justice approach.

“When I first heard him say that to me, something changed. I knew this man was sincere. My son’s murderer might never be caught. But I knew I needed to keep going. The more I help, the more I heal. Allante is making a difference. ”