O'Reilly read the report on Albertson's background, prepared for the court. His childhood, she learned, was full of unspeakable abuse. It was easy to see why he might become an alcoholic, she said, to escape a past filled with so much pain.
Finally, she thought about the anger riding around inside of her, day in and day out. She worried that it might corrode her relationship with her young daughters, struggling themselves to find their footing, to make a new life without a father.
She also remembered her faith. "I had to let go of all that negativity," she said. "I happen to be a Catholic, but whether you're Christian or Jewish or Muslim, it comes down to the same thing, love and forgiveness."
"It's not excusing -- he did this thing and he needs to suffer the consequences, because we sure as heck are suffering the consequences. But at some point I just had to acknowledge that he is not a monster." And so, in her heart, Patty O'Reilly forgave William Albertson. She would have left it at that. But another stage in her journey was yet to come.
Bruised and Dazed
Crime victims and survivors have achieved remarkable things over the last three decades. Their rights are now recognized under the law. Victims may make a statement in court at sentencing. Many states, including California, grant them privileges at parole hearings, such as the chance to protest an inmate's release from afar, by videotape.
But true services for victims -- counseling and restitution, for instance -- are stretched thin. And many say they feel bruised, dazed and, on the whole, dissatisfied once the judges, juries and prosecutors have disposed of their cases.
For some, restorative justice is an appealing answer.
While its theoretical roots stretch back centuries, the modern movement's birth is typically traced to Ontario, Canada, in 1974. Four years later, the first formal reconciliation work was underway in this country.
Since then, hundreds of programs -- some run by government, some by nonprofit groups or religious organizations -- have sprouted. Most focus on juvenile cases and largely involve nonviolent crimes. Mediation can occur either as a substitute for prosecution, or post-sentencing. It is voluntary and requires both parties' consent.
Recently, a growing number of states have begun offering restorative justice to victims of crimes by adults. California has small programs at two adult prisons -- San Quentin and Solano State Prison in Vacaville -- but no immediate plans to expand.
