NCJ Number
157896
Journal
Perspectives Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (1994) Pages: 31-36
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Arguing that changing the goal of the criminal justice system from rehabilitation to retribution and incapacitation has not solved the crisis in criminal justice and overlooks the needs and role of the victim and community, this paper discusses the history and philosophy of restorative justice and argues that it will and should be increasingly sought.
Abstract
Justice and punishment have somehow become synonymous, leaving out the victim or community that has been harmed. Without basic changes, delays in bringing offenders to justice and victims' sense of helplessness will continue. The restorative model makes the victim the paramount concern and uses a process that is geared to making the victim whole and that uses the offender as the means wherever possible. This philosophy represents a return to ancient cultures and the legal systems that form the foundation of western law, regarding crime as an intensely personal event. Despite current criminal justice policy and practice, widespread public support appears to exist for repaying the community. Mediation programs, restitution, and other forms of alternative dispute settlement have been established. Research is increasingly finding that the process of mediating conflict between victims and offenders benefits the parties, the community, and the justice system. 14 references