Outline the main principles of restorative justice. Discuss the challenges of this model and how these challenges may be overcome.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

According to the restorative view, crimes share the common trait of bringing harm to the community in which they occur. A justice policy is needed that repairs harm caused by crime and includes all parties that have suffered that harm, including the victim, the community, and the offender. An important aspect of restorative justice is for offenders to accept accountability for their actions and responsibility for harm caused. In this way, the relationship between victim and offender can be healed by addressing the issues that produced the conflict. Society should try to reconcile the parties involved in the conflict. While restorative justice holds great promise, there are some concerns. One is that these programs may not reach out to all members of the community but tilt toward white offenders and be more restrictive to minorities. In addition, programs need to be wary of the cultural and social differences found in a heterogeneous society-what is considered restorative in one subculture may be considered damaging and insulting to another. The greatest task is balancing the needs of offenders against those of their victims. Focus on the victim may risk ignoring the offender's needs and increase the likelihood of reoffending. If programs focus on the offender, this may turn off victims and their advocates.