Liebman (2007) 'What is restorative justice?

• RJ DEFINITION:

  'Restorative Justice aims to restore the well-being of victims, offenders and communities damaged by crime, and to prevent further offending'
• Principles of RJ

  • Victim support and healing is a priority
  • Offenders take responsibility
  • There is a dialogue to achieve understanding
  • Attempt to put right harm done
  • Offenders look at how to avoid future offending
  • Community helps to reintegrate both victims and offenders
• Some Restorative Justice Processes:

  • Mediation (conflicts)
  • Victim - offender mediation
  • Reparation
  • Victim - offender conferencing
  • Family group conferencing
  • victim - offender groups
  • Victim awareness work
• Benefits of mediation/conferencing

  For victims - have opportunity to:

  • Learn about the offender and put a face to the crime
  • Ask questions of the offender
  • Express feelings and needs after their crime
  • Receive an apology/ appropriate reparation
  • Educate offenders about the effect of their offendings
  • Sort out any existing conflict
  • Be part of the CJ process
  • Put the crime behind them
• Benefits of mediation/conferencing

  For Offenders - opportunity to:

  • Own responsibility for their crime
  • find out effect of their crime
  • Apologise/ offer appropriate reparation
  • Reassess future behaviour
• Benefits of mediation/conferencing

  For courts - opportunity to:

  • Learn how the victims are affected
  • Reassess future behaviour
• Benefits of mediation/conferencing

  For Communities - opportunity to:

  • Accept apologies and reparation from offenders
  • Help reintegrate victims and offenders