Banishment

Most places in Canada would be suitable for banishment as long as it was far out in the wilderness. The most ideal places would be similar to the one that Cole is in. It is an island surrounded by water making it difficult to escape, which might be the first choice for someone who is banished, but also supports life. The best place in my opinion though would be somewhere in between Alberta and B.C. in the deepest part of the forest. It would be near a lake with moving, clean water. The forest would be ideal because it is remote and very secluding. Plenty of wood would be available for fires and creating a strong shelter. The only drawbacks are that there is a chance of violent animals, and the possibility of getting lost and not being found. If someone was to be banished to a location like this, it would be almost required that the person(s) wear satellite tracking devices or GPS devices.

The reason no one has been banished is because the chance of injury of death is greatly increased. If someone was injured or killed it could cause many legal issues and possibly more violence, not including the grief and sadness that would be created.

I think it looks good on paper or in our case the book but the chance of something going wrong is too high. The book makes it seem possible and yes it certainly could be under the best circumstances but the risk seems too high. I think that maybe it should be tried with lots of caution. I do think that the concept of banishment does seem to work. It makes sense to go to such extremes in certain cases. So yes I think it's a good idea but it needs to be controlled.

Life, Death, and Change

Cole before his attack was a very negative person. He doesn't trust anyone who isnt afraid of him and tries to make everyone repsect him through fear. He plays everyone and makes them believe that he is legit in his actions. He thinks of himself as a baby-faced con. To Cole the world is just a big game and he is in it to win it. Nothing is his fault, or so he thinks and he also believes that he is above everything and everyone in the world.

After his life changing attack, Cole is a lot different. He know nows that he is small and insignificant in the world. He doesn't blame anyone for his actions anymore and accepts responsibility. Instead of lying and playing everyone he now wants to earn respect and have people trust him. He doesnt want to con people anymore. Looking back at himself he feels that he was wrong before in his actions and thoughts. His anger is still there, like a memory he can't forget, but now he is trying to control it.

The attack from the Spirit Bear was completely Cole's fault. He showed agression to the bear from the first time he saw it, by throwing a rock and shouting threats at it. He then planned to kill it with the knife he found in the burnt supplies and his makeshift spear he crafted. The bear was only doing what it knew. It saw a threat charging towards it and felt it had nowhere to go. The natural instinct is for the bear to fight back. I do think that it was a positive thing that happened though. He now is a changed person and all because of this experience. It was an extreme event but sometimes the near death experices can change you better than others.

The Meaning of Circle Justice

Circle justice is an oportunity to change people's lives. The goal is to heal the victim and offender instead of punishing. It seeks healing by using unique methods of sentencing. Both the offender and victim must forgive in order to move on. The ofender needs to escape the circle of crime and punishment and circle justice gives them the skills to do so, while also giving them a meaning to life and helping the victims forgive.

An example of where circle justice has been used is in Minnealapolis, athough it is used a lot thoughout Canada and the United States. The case is layed out as such: Jeremy Boyd, 24, opted for circle sentencing to avoid jail after pleading guilty to cruelty to animals. He strangled his older sister's cat after getting mad at her. He attended a healing circle with the victim before the sentencing. He was sentenced to build 14 geese nesting boxes, attend and anger support group, and fasted. The process took roughly 18 months to complete and Jeremy seems to have been changed and healed. I think that this shows that circle justice is effective even on cases as small as these. It does heal and it accomplishes what it seeks.

Link: http://freenet.msp.mn.us/~fholson/circles-mn/circ-stb.htm