Restorative justice

• What is it ?

  Seeks to achieve justice by repairing the harm done by an offender rather than punishing them

  • voluntary for both parties + can be offered instead of custodial sentencing if the victim agrees
• What are the 3 aims ?

  1. Victim feels empowered to share how they feel + reduce victimisation
  2. reduce reoffending by making them understand the effect of their behaviour

  • courage to take responsibility by offering compensation + develop empathy + show guilt

  3. victim can develop an understanding of the offender thus reducing a sense of fear + harm
• What did watch all + mc cold state ?

  Relationships are important not just punishment

  • included the community as a third stakeholder
  • victim seeks reparation + offender must take responsibility
  • community aims to achieve reconciliation to maintain a healthy society
  • if only one stakeholder is involved the process is only partly restorative
  • peace circles
• What are peace circles?

  ?Allow restorative justice to happen where community support is offered to victims and offenders together.

  • a supportive community can prevent crime rather than excluding them
• Evaluation ?

  1. Benefit the economy
  2. Ik restorative justice council
  3. ethical issues
• Benefits of economy ?

  £8 saved for every £1 spent on restorative justice(custodial costs, court, time)

  • cost of restorative justice is funded by the fines of the offender
• Restorative justice council ?

  85% victim satisfaction from face to face meetings with offenders

  • 78% would reccomend to other victims
  • 96% states it directly increased their motivation to not offend

  - don’t receive much public support and is viewed as a ‘soft option’
• Ethical issues

  • victim may feel worse
  • women’s air have called for a legislative ban on restorative justice in domestic abuse cases
  • victims may use their power to shame the offender