With the power to discipline, our society has the capacity to influence the future. Although punishment is used against human savagery, it can also be used to exert power. The act of recording a sentence is extensively documented in the literature. This is the subject of Ben Mikaelsen's novel, Touching Spirit Bear. Cole Matthews proves that the power to punish is often misused, leading to harmful side effects for society. Fortunately, Cole's most recent crime is being tried according to the Native American tradition known as Circle Justice. Because of the restorative approach to the process, Cole is assigned punishment, which allows him to travel a path toward redemption. As Cole's transformation in Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear demonstrates, justice brings redemption, as illustrated by the setting, symbolism, and characterization, proving that society should refrain from attributing justice solely based on punishment. First, in Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear, justice ensures redemption. as illustrated by the context, which proves that society should refrain from awarding justice solely on the basis of punishment. Justice grants penance to the guilty party, which in some way equalizes the mistakes made by the guilty party. The Circle Justice process grants Cole a sentence of banishment as a means of remedying the problems his actions have generated. He was given a one-year ban as punishment for seriously injuring a classmate named Peter Driscal. If he had served his sentence elsewhere, his current condition would have been radically changed. In the traditional justice system, it is highly likely that Cole would have received a lengthy prison sentence. Unfortunately, prison further diminishes an inmate's ability to respond amidst the paperwork sent to the court system. By comparison, Miakaelsen proves that healing must be an area of ​​focus for justice if society is to reverse the complications created by crime. Punishment being a fixation of justice, legislation directly contributes to the harm of our society. By remaining focused on punishment, our governance fails to erase the corrupt crimes inflicted on our emerging society. As citizens, we must march together to demonstrate our support for justice that focuses on restoration rather than punishment. Otherwise, with only punitive measures in place, this cycle of lawlessness will remain unrelenting. Is this reality of harsh discipline still acceptable if there is no obvious benefit to be gained from these methods? Works Cited Mikaelsen, Ben Touching Spirit Bear. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2001. Print