what is restorative justice

Restorative justice is an approach to justice that aims to repair the harm done to victims of a crime or conflict. It is founded on an alternative theory to the traditional methods of justice, which often focus on retribution. Restorative justice practices work to address the dehumanization frequently experienced by people in the traditional criminal justice system. Rather than viewing a criminal act as simply a violation of a rule or statute, restorative justice sees this action as a violation of people and relationships. The goal of restorative justice is to bring together those most affected by the criminal act, including the offender, the victim, and community members, in a non-adversarial process to encourage offender accountability and meet the needs of the victims to repair the harms resulting from the crime. Restorative justice seeks to examine the harmful impact of a crime and then determines what can be done to repair that harm while holding the person who caused it accountable for their actions. Accountability for the offender means accepting responsibility and acting to repair the harm done. Restorative justice programs can include a payment of money given from the offender to the victim, apologies and other amends, and other actions to compensate those affected and to prevent the offender from causing future harm. The three core elements of restorative justice are the interconnected concepts of Encounter, Repair, and Transform. Each element is discrete and essential, and together they represent a journey toward wellbeing and wholeness that victims, offenders, and community members can experience.