Reparation

• What does this approach allow the offender to do?

  Make amends for their actions
• give an example of how reparation can be tailored to a particular crime

  property crime - the offender could be told to compensate the victim for the damage with a compensation order
• what is community payback?

  a community order in which offenders have to make repairs to public spaces e.g.: cleaning graffiti
• restorative justice:

  • a type of reparation
  • involves the offender and victim meeting
  • the victim can tell the offender how the crime made them feel and the offender has the chance to apologise
  • can be done in writing
  • the offender can show remorse/ask for forgiveness
• How does left realism support reparation?

  aids mutual understanding and can be a practical step towards a more caring/equal society
• how does labelling theory support reparation?

  it can reintegrate people back into mainstream society and allow them to express remorse. this helps prevent the slide into secondary deviance
• how does functionalism support reparation?

  Durkheim favoured this kind of approach to be able to put things back into a harmonious state - for the smooth running of society
• strengths of reparation:

  • allows for reinstatement of harmony (functionalism)
  • can allow the victim an important opportunity to give their side and express their hurt/anger
  • can help reduce reoffending by helping the offender to really understand the effect of their crime

  limitations:

  • is it possible to make reparations for some crimes? e.g.: sexual/violent crime
  • some victims may not want to face/forgive the offender
  • reparation to murder victims is impossible
  • some think this is too soft of an approach (right realism)