Leonard Campbell: SNAP program should be restorative, not retributive

To The Daily Sun, 

SNAP benefits and the requirement to work is showing how a retributive approach of justice, rather than a restorative approach of justice, is how structural violence will continue to harm the marginalized people and continue the wedge issues dividing us.

Woah, what does this mean?

A retributive form of justice is one of punishment. By punishing people, the thought is that people will reform themselves to escape the punishment. It is an individualist response that makes the individual both the scapegoat ― the one who is blamed and shamed ― and the one responsible for correcting the situation.

So the person receiving SNAP has to work. What about transportation? What about childcare? What happens to other benefits that are income-dependent? Raising the income level can create what is called the financial cliff ― and losing the benefits creates more poverty for the family. And the cycle starts, again. That structural violence harms the family and our society.

A restorative form of justice is one that looks at the situation and the family and the community and comes up with a response that will empower the family. It looks at what are the structural reasons why this is happening and addresses them so the family works out of poverty and is not unsuccessfully shamed out of poverty. Resources are used to improve the situation ― not shame. The community is involved and is invested in the success of the individual and wedge issues will then prevent success.

This nation was built on the concept of the common good. We can return to the understanding that a society is known by how it treats those struggling most within it. And stop the divisiveness that is breaking us apart.

Leonard Campbell

Meredith