What is Restorative Justice- Restorative justice is concerned with healing victims' wounds, restoring offenders to law-abiding lives, and repairing harm done to the community.
Offender’s Role
In the existing criminal justice system, offenders may play a passive role and not be held accountable to right the wrong they have committed. However, in the Restorative Justice process, offenders become active participants in reparation efforts. Offenders are held directly accountable to victims and are confronted with the personal impact of their crime. Restorative Justice requires them to make amends to the victim and community in whatever way possible.
It can help the criminal understand the impact of crime on victims, community, and society.
This requires the assumption that crimes or violations are committed against real individuals, rather than against the state. Restorative justice, therefore, advocates restitution to the victim by the offender rather than retribution by the state against the offender.
Through Restorative Justice, victims are offered opportunities to regain the sense of empowerment they may have lost as a result of crime. Victims can express how they were personally impacted by crime and their resulting needs.
The role of the community also changes dramatically with Restorative Justice. The community is responsible for supporting and assisting victims, holding offenders accountable and ensuring opportunities for offenders to make amends. Communities are also responsible for addressing the underlying factors and influences of crime. Also, that we must give offenders the opportunity to right their wrongs and redeem themselves, in their own eyes and in the eyes of the community.
RESOURCES
http://www.doc.state.mn.us/rj/publications/facilityrjgroupconf.htm
http://www.restorativejustice.org/
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Restorative+justice%3a+the+concept.(Restorative+Justice)-a020438182
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