Restorative justice

• Restorative justice focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims.
• In restorative justice, the offenders come face to face with their victims to see the impact of their crime. This empowers the victim to tell the offender how they feel. There is a mediator present at all times.
• Restorative justice is flexible, it can be an alternative to prison, an add on to community service or an incentive to reduce prison sentence
• The Restorative Justice Council establishes clear standards for the use of RJ and supports victims and professionals in the field. They believe it should be used to manage conflicts in many areas including schools, prisons and workplaces.
• Key features of restorative justice:

  Accept responsibility

  Face to face interaction that is not restricted to a courtroom

  Active involvement of all parties

  Focus on positive outcomes for all
• In variations of restorative justice, it may not always be face to face, it could be on the phone or the offender may financially compensate or repair the damage physicalmly
• AO3. There is evidence that restorative justice is successful from the perspective of the victim. The UK Restorative Justice Council found that 85 % satisfaction from victims in face to face meetings with their offenders. These reports covered a large range of crimes from theft to violent crime. Dignan also found that victims claim a greater sense of satisfaction using Restorative Justice than when their case goes through court
• AO3. Restorative justice also aims to reduce reoffending and therefore crime rates. Research indicates that this aim has been achieved. Sherman and Strang reviewed 20 studies of face to face meetings between offenders and victims in the US, UK and Australia. All studies showed reduced re offending. In one of the studies there were lower reoffending rates compared to a matched control group. The Restorative Justice Council report a 14 % reduction in reoffending rates.
• AO3. Key aims of custodial sentencing can be achieved through restorative justice. One aim is punishment, this may be part of restorative justice, as well as the process of facing a victim is unpleasant and may act as a deterrent. By avoiding custodial sentencing sentencing, criminals won’t learn criminal techniques whilst inside prison. Also, it is cheaper and sometimes even funded by the offender themselves. This shows that restorative justice has many advantages over custodial sentencing
• AO3. A problem is that restorative justice will never be able to apply to all victims and all offenders. The offender must have admitted to the crime, which is not always the case. Also, not all crimes are suitable for restorative justice. The programme also needs a victim to accept the offer, some may decline. This means that it may not be a universal solution of dealing with offending behaviour