Dealing with offending behaviour: Restorative justice

• Restorative justice


  Switching the emphasis from the needs of the state to the needs of the individual victim
• Restorative justice


  Less about 'retribution' and more about 'reparation'
• Aims of restorative justice

  • Focus on the victim of the crime and their recovery
  • Focus on the offender and their recovery/rehabilitation process
• Restorative justice programmes


  • Trained mediator supervises the meeting
  • Non-courtroom setting where offenders voluntarily meet with survivors
  • Can be face-to-face meeting or conducted remotely via video link
  • The survivor is given the opportunity to confront the offender and explain how the incident affected them
  • Important that there is active rather than passive involvement of all parties in the process wherever possible
  • The focus is on positive outcome for both survivors and offenders
  • Other relevant community members may have a role in the process, such as neighbours, friends, family members
• Restorative justice


  1. May occur pre-trial

  2. Could also function alongside a prison sentence, as an alternative to prison, or as an incentive to reduce the length of a sentence
• Restitution


  • Monetary payment by an offender to the survivor for the harm resulting from the offence
  • The offender can support the healing process by repairing and rebuilding the survivor's confidence/self-esteem
• Restorative Justice Council (RJC) is an independent body whose role is to establish clear standards for the use of restorative justice and to support survivors and specialist professionals in the field
• RJC advocates the use of restorative practice beyond dealing with crime, such as in preventing conflict in many areas including schools, children's services, workplaces, hospitals and communities