Opinion: Crime, punishment and the power of storytelling (or beyond retribution)

Do you remember what happened when you made a mistake, messed up, or caused harm intentionally or unintentionally as an adolescent in school? You were most likely sent to the principal’s office, placed in detention, suspended or even expelled. At home, you might have been put in time-out, sent to your room, or, if the situation was serious, had your phone taken away or faced an extended period of grounding. In each case, the response was the same – you were removed from your community.

How many times did you end up making the same mistake again? Probably at least two or three more times. If the punitive measures didn’t stop the behavior, why do we keep using this failed approach? Where did we learn to address harm by responding with more harm – isolating people temporarily (detention, time-out) or long-term (grounding, phone confiscation)? Like many things in our society, we have learned it from the media.

In the U.S., media portrayals of crime and justice overwhelmingly focus on sensationalized violence and punitive responses. I don’t know about you, but I was once a die-hard “Law & Order” fan – every franchise, even “Organized Crime,” but “SVU” was my favorite. I was hooked on crime and legal dramas: “Chicago P.D.,” “Criminal Minds,” “Blue Bloods” – you name it. I even dabbled in true crime documentaries. The problem with consuming media like this is that it normalizes a punitive system where harm is met with immediate exclusion. Someone commits a crime, and they are removed from their community – no questions asked. No one asks why they did it, what led to their actions, or how things could have gone differently. They are stripped of their humanity, reduced to the label of "offender" or "criminal," and left to await sentencing and go to prison or jail.

This narrative isn’t just confined to entertainment – it dominates news coverage as well, embedding itself into our culture and shaping “hard on crime” policies. And yet, this punitive model doesn’t actually prevent crime or provide meaningful closure for victims. If it worked, we wouldn’t have such high recidivism rates. So, how do we address harm?

Restorative justice offers an approach that prioritizes healing, accountability, and reconciliation. In a system where marginalized communities disproportionately suffer from harsh sentencing laws and high recidivism rates, RJ aims to repair harm and rebuild relationships. Its transformative potential is undeniable – so why isn’t it more widely recognized or embraced? Because it’s largely absent from media representation.

Through content analysis and thematic coding, it’s examined how media narratives shape public perceptions of restorative justice. What we found was that mainstream TV shows like “All Rise” and “Orange Is the New Black” struggle to accurately depict the nuances of RJ. Instead, they oversimplify it, leaving audiences with the impression that RJ is “soft on crime” and ineffective at holding people accountable – while completely missing its healing potential. In particular, “Orange is the New Black” has been critiqued for its inaccurate and incomplete portrayal of restorative justice. A negative perspective about the series is that it prioritizes people who have caused harm over people who have been harmed, contradicting RJ’s victim-centered philosophy. For example in the series, Cindy’s participation in an RJ class helps her reconcile with her mother, her betrayal of Taystee remains unresolved, perpetuating cycles of harm. Rojas notes, “Having introduced the possibility of RJ, the show then represents it as failing in its goal of ending cycles of violence and creating a more secure community” (Rojas, 2020). This missed opportunity undermines the transformative potential of RJ and may leave viewers with an incomplete understanding of its principles.

“The Redemption Project” with Van Jones was a step in the right direction. The docuseries did an excellent job capturing the emotional impact of restorative justice while providing educational value. This was evident in audience reactions, especially to Season 1, Episode 6 (“Officer Down”). One IMDb reviewer described it as one of the most powerful depictions of healing and forgiveness they had ever seen, noting that the emotional breakthroughs extended beyond just the primary participants. So, what do we do with this information?

Since mainstream dramas prioritize entertainment, it’s difficult for them to fully capture the complexity and educational aspects of RJ. But that doesn’t mean we should abandon them altogether. Instead, we need a fusion of drama and documentary – something like a dramatized docuseries. A great example is “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” That film, based on real events, uses actors and dramatization while maintaining emotional authenticity and educational depth. Audiences can engage with a compelling story while still learning about real-life restorative justice practices.  

This is the kind of media representation we need – one that doesn’t just entertain but also educates and shifts the public perception of justice from punishment to healing.