Restorative Justice: The United States Criminal Justice System

Restorative justice is rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community. Restorative justice programs are conferences held to enable offenders, victims and community members to meet face to face to discuss the crime that was done and determine the best way to repair the harm. Usually when offenders hear their victims describe the effect the crime had on them, they often feel sympathy and express remorse. Restorative justice conferences give the victims and community member’s justice and satisfaction. I believe the system is good because it gives criminals time to try and better themselves and try to change, and also gives justice and closure to the victims.

Analytical Writing Response #8 Restorative justice and peacemaking criminology are compelling alternatives to conventional crime and justice models. These models offer a more humane and holistic approach to addressing societal harm. Restorative justice, for example, reimagines the justice process by focusing on repairing the harm caused by crime and restoring relationships among victims, offenders, and affected communities. Rather than solely relying on punitive measures, restorative justice prioritizes healing and reconciliation, emphasizing dialogue, empathy, and accountability.

Restorative justice is a way to view crime in a positive way, viewing it as a way to help those who offend and those who are affected. By punishing an offender immediately no matter the crime committed they are stigmatized instantly by society, their peers, family and possibly even themselves. The negative stigmatization slowly but surely removes them from society as they are seen as people who do not belong and people who break the rules. Restorative justice helps because they are not stigmatized and punished immediately and by not doing so, and instead helping and guiding them, on what will happen, how to re enter society and having the people who were affected by their actions express their experience and feelings the offender will see the error of his or her ways.

Restorative justice focuses on repairing any harm caused by criminal behavior (“Restorative Justice”, n.d). When using restorative justice, the defendant will perform an act of compensation to the victims rather than spending time behind bars in a correctional facility (“Restorative Justice”, n.d). Examples of this type of justice can include having an offender who vandalized a victim’s car pay for the repairs. This can definitely help reduce incarceration rates since after performing the criminal act, the offender will be held accountable for their actions towards the victim. The offender will also be less likely to commit more crimes in the future because they will ultimately end up realizing that living a life of crime has a hefty price

My initial reaction to the concept and process of restorative justice was positive. I am in full agreement to the process and feel this is a program that should be implemented in schools, justice systems, at home, and in the community. Van Wormer describes this program goal is to work together as a community (community building) to restore what was once whole and holding the offender accountable for damages (Van Wormer & Besthorn, 2011). Restorative justice is a humane way of problem solving and giving the opportunity for the offender to understand the effects made on the community, it's a form of therapy to discuss the underlying causes and issues. This provides the opportunity for both victim and offender to heal and create solutions.

There was a 19 year old who was driving a stolen car and lost control. When he lost control he killed four people and was sentenced for 47 years in jail. This offender didn’t have a good example to follow while he was growing up. His dad abended him when he was young and was left to be raised by him mom who was an extreme alcoholic (Pope 2011). This is an example the restorative prisons would really help someone who never got proper information growing up on how to behave and things he can do and things he can’t. The restorative prisons would help someone like him by not locking him up for a number of years. This helps the perpetrator because they have more opportunities while in the restorative prison that will help them once they can leave. At the restorative prisons everyone helps out around the building including the perpetrators and that can help them feel better about themselves because they are doing something useful. Also at these prisons the perpetrators are allowed to leave for work as long as they are back by a certain time which also give them more opportunities to make their life better. Some of these prisons also offer training for the perpetrators so they are exposed to more options. Restorative justice ways look into

Restorative justice also looks into why the offender committed the crime like they did. This knowledge can help everyone understand what the perpetrator needs to improve so they don’t commit another crime. For example, if anger contributed to their last crime what is stopping their anger from contributing to their next crime (Tsui, 2014)? This is an example of one way restorative prisons go beyond traditional

Restorative justice is a system of criminal justice that emphasizes the rehabilitation of offenders through mending ties with the victims and the community. A better explanation of restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include everyone involved. This can lead to transformation of people, relationships and communities.

Restorative Justice is the response to bad behaviour criminal restoration and the solution of the problems caused by a crime (Heath-Thorton). In 1994 Restorative Justice began to become more common. This happened when the American Bar Association approved victim-offender mediation. Restorative Justice first appeared in 1970 as a substitute for the court process. It came out at the same time as the victims’ rights movement, which wanted more involvement of victims in the criminal justice process.

The United States of America, long ago, founded a disciplinary system that was to keep law abiding citizens safe. Those who broke the law were to be adequately punished and reformed, so that when criminals were done serving time, they would be ready to become contributing members of society. Mandatory minimum sentences, high prison return rates, and overworked and underfunded public defenders are just some of the issues that plague the Criminal Justice System. It is astounding that an alternative has not been sought.Restorative justice, or Circle justice is a discipline system that involves mediation, honest speaking, and healing. It gets all parties to share their experiences thoughts and feelings to address what happened in the inciting

“Restorative justice is a process whereby parties with a stake in a specific offence collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future” (Munchie, 2004).

The three key goals victims can pursue through the criminal justice system is to punish the offender, compel law breakers to undergo rehabilitate treatment and restitution. Punishment is usually justified on utilitarian grounds as evil. Although it is argued that making transgressors suffer curbs future criminality in a number of ways. It is said if an offender gets punished by unpleasant and unwanted consequences it will most likely discouraged him/her from breaking the law again. Also it satisfies victims thirst for revenge and prevents future vigilantism and incapacitates dangerous predators so they can be off the streets; a safer community. Rehabilitation, some victims want professionals to help offenders become decent,

The focus of the current mainstream criminal justice (CJ) system and the focus of restorative justice (RJ) are where true differences lie. The current criminal justice system focuses on punishment, while restorative justice emphasizes repairing the harm that has been caused (Wormer and Walker, 2013). In the restorative justice process, many people are directly involved, including: those who have been harmed and their families, those who have caused harm and their families, and the relevant community (Wormer and Walker, 2013). Today’s criminal justice system is different in that individuals are

Under the retributive justice system, justice is achieved by finding out which law was broken, who broke it, and punishing the offender. The offender is then sentenced to repay the state for his/her crime against it by serving a sentence of some sort, usually in the form of jail or prison time. In the restorative system, justice is achieved by figuring the harm done, the repair s needed for the harm, and who should repair it. The offender is then accountable to the victim and the community. The state then has the responsibility to ensure that the offender is held accountable to the victim.

Restorative or Community Justice is a fairly new concept. It is aimed more at repairing damages caused by the crime to the victim(s) and the community involved. In this method the victim lays out conditions for the offender and what is necessary to help repair any losses. The community provides assistance to help restore the offender to the community. Some say that this method can be dangerous and bypasses certain safeguards.