Beyond Restitution - Reconciliation Between Victims and Offenders (From Canadian Congress on the Prevention of Crime, P 58-72, Bernard Pinet, ed. - See NCJ-89745)

• NCJ Number: 89746
• Author(s): P Letkemann
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

Victim-offender reconciliation programs can help offenders perceive their social responsibilities while providing victims with the meaning of the acts against themselves and some retributive satisfaction.

Abstract

Attempts to bring the victim and offender together are contrary to the contemporary view of official justice which condemns personal vengeance. Reconciliation can be defined as forgiveness, establishing a friendly relationship between victim and offender, or negotiating a satisfactory civil arrangement. Informal mediation may actually play a role in persons deciding not to report crime. Restitution and reconciliation programs are usually based on an operating distinction between crimes against property and those against persons, but it appears that reconciliation might be most appropriate where restitution and compensation can never be adequate, such as homicide and rape. Reconciliation is compatible with the just deserts, retributive, and rehabilitative theories of punishment. It forces offenders to be responsible for their actions and is a vital step in their resocialization process. A major issue is whether reconciliation will focus on individual failings and ignore the social and structural sources of crime. Research has suggested that mediation and reconciliation procedures are a healing and cathartic experience for the offender. They help victims become reconciled to their losses, acknowledge their contributions to the offense, and permit the gesture of forgiveness. Practical problems in implementing reconciliation programs include quality of mediators, timing of intervention, criteria for participants, and valid evaluation measures.