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Introduction
Restorative Justice: Removing Harm, Reducing Risk and Building Community
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| Community Safety: strategies that engage the community in protecting itself and build the community's capacity for controlling and preventing crime. |
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| Accountability: understanding how behavior affects other human beings, being responsible for one's actions, acknowledging that the behavior resulted from a choice that could have been made differently, and taking action to repair the harm to the greatest extent possible. |
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WHAT IS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE?
Currently when a crime occurs, these questions are commonly asked:
"Who did it?"
"What law was broken?"
"How should the offender be punished?"
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ASKS THREE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS:
"What was the harm?"
"What needs to be done to repair the harm?"
Who is responsible for this repair?"
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Three Dimensional Justice
VICTIMS:
Restorative justice provides the victim an opportunity to meet with the person who offended against him/her in a safe environment where the victim can explain what he/she has experienced, hold the offender accountable for his/her actions, ask questions, get answers, and have a direct say in what the offender needs to do to repair the harm caused.
The perspective and needs of the victim are kept central to the process by both defining the harm resulting from the crime and ensuring the involvement of the victim, if he or she chooses, in the plan to repair the harm.
The victim always has the choice to participate and determine the extent of his or her involvement.
Each victim receives the services and resources he/she needs as a result of the crime
COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
Community members are encouraged to be involved in these process as facilitators, support for participants, community or personal service work sites or supervisors, and as mentors for anyone for whom mentoring would be beneficial. Community members may also supervise the community service agreed upon by the conference participants.
The community/neighborhood shares responsibility for its members and each has a role in responding to community norms and values.
The community holds the justice system accountable for supporting the community group conferencing process.
The community shares responsibility for recognizing and assisting victims by assuring their needs are met and in restoring them to their community.
The community shares responsibility for monitoring and assisting offenders in completing their obligations and in restoring their status in the eyes of the community.
OFFENDERS:
Offenders have the opportunity to learn how their actions have harmed the victim, take responsibility for their behavior, apologize when they are truly sorry, and agree to do whatever is reasonable to repair the harm done.
The offender is accountable to the victim and community for his or her actions
The community and system work with the offender to provide opportunity to:
1. accept responsibility for his/her actions
2. demonstrate his/her desire to regain his/her status in the community and be guided
and supported in this effort
3. participate in activities which increase empathy with crime victims, build upon offenders
assets and address his or her needs to increase his/her capacity to be a contributing member of the community.
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