We have been spending a few days on the Tasman Peninsula and have visited the Port Arthur historic convict precinct on a number of occasions.

On a site tour our excellent guide, Mark, described the thinking that shaped the convict penal settlement. Jeremy Bentham was the English penal reformer who believed a model penal settlement was ‘a machine for grinding rogues into honest men’. This reformer’s thinking determined five key aspects of penal life:

• classification and separation
• discipline and control/punishment
• architecture and the built environment
• moral formation: religion, education and training
• it’s all about money! (financial resourcing)

I expect these five aspects are still important but the ways in which they are carried out by today’s penal/corrective services differ significantly from those of Port Arthur’s days. See for example, Corrective Services, Tasmania.

At a general level, the issue of restoration/rehabilitation of relationships in all areas of our community life are a vital issue for us in 21st century Australian society.

I have recently attended a PeaceWise course on conflict resolution and for a new reforming model of restorative justice within a school context see, Restorative ways of healing and living healthy relationships. Never forgetting Christ’s offer of forgiveness with God and one another, Healing through forgiveness.