A03

• limitation- soft punishment

  • many members of public see RJ as a soft option for dealing with offenders ,even though its use would reduce recidivism
  • estimated evert £1 spent on RJ we would save £8 on reduced reoffending
  • however, politicians are not keen to promote its use in fear of losing public support who prefer criminals to face retribution for their crimes as considered a more fair approach
• flexible

  • unlike custodial sentencing, RJ can be used flexibily, adapting to suit the needs of each situation
  • however, this makes it difficult to conclude the effectiveness as standardised procedures are not used consistently meaning findings lack reliability when aiming to support restorative justice
• limitation- remorse

  • it is possible the offender only signs up to RJ as a way of reducing their sentence or to avoid prison and thus do not show genuine remorse
  • the victim may also only be interested in seeking revenge
  • thus the proccess may not have the benefits it claims and does not prevent reoffending