Describe the restorative justice principle—how does this approach differ from traditional retributive responses to crime?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Restorative justice is a framework that focuses on repairing the harm done to victims and the community through a process of negotiation, mediation, victim empowerment, and reparation. Under traditional criminal justice, crime is considered an act against the state and a violation of the law. In contrast, restorative justice considers offenders, victims, and the community all to be important stakeholders of justice processes. The focus of the traditional criminal justice system is the offender’s accountability, which is defined by punishment. In contrast, restorative justice emphasizes the future and accountability defined as assuming the offender will take responsibility and take action to repair the harm of the offense. The traditional criminal justice system is formal, and sentencing options are limited. In contrast, restorative justice is informal and resolution could be anything from an apology letter to community service or restitution.