THE CRIMEFIGHTER: LAUREN ABRAMSON

摘要

Few would consider America's criminal-justice system a model for the rest of the world; 52 percent of offenders are reincarcerated within three years of their release, according to U.S. Justice Department statistics. "We have a culture very focused on punishment rather than accountability," says Lauren Abramson, a child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins who's developed an alternative technique for dealing with young offenders. It was during a chance encounter at an international conference in 1994 that Abramson learned how the Maori people of New Zealand resolve conflict. Forgoing the courts, the Maori gather everyone involved in an incident to collectively mete out justice. To Abramson, these "community conferencing" sessions seemed a perfect venue for handling lesser crimes in the U.S.