Describe the origins and evolution of restorative justice

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The concept of community justice is a philosophy of using the community to control and reduce crime and to rebuild community relationships through community policing, community courts, and restorative justice. Although some authors use the terms "community justice" and "restorative justice" interchangeably, community justice is actually a broader concept that describes a philosophy overriding the whole criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections), whereas restorative justice deals only with the sentencing and corrections component. Restorative justice is a sentencing philosophy and practice that emphasizes the offender taking responsibility to repair the harm done to the victim and the surrounding community. Restorative justice is more victim-centered than traditional methods, involving the victim and the community throughout the whole justice process (Karp, 1998; Van Ness & Strong, 1997; Wright, 1996). Restorative justice is practiced worldwide in both juvenile and adult systems, and the form that it takes is largely dependent on cultural factors. The form that it has taken in the United States is considered to be more akin to "Western restorative justice" compared to that practiced by indigenous peoples and Aboriginals in other countries such as Canada, New Zealand, and Australia (Cameron, 2006). Canada recognizes both forms of restorative justice (RJ)—Western RJ and aboriginal justice—as Western RJ speaks to the dominant Canadian majority, and Aboriginal initiatives honor the traditional values and legal principles of the Aboriginal people. In the United States, Western restorative justice is community-based and combines mainstream American criminal justice with indigenous justice practiced by Native Americans long before European settlers colonized North America.