WHAT IS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE?
Restorative Justice is a process that involves "core-participants" in a specific incident to identify and addresses harms, needs, and obligations in order to restore relationships and make things as right as possible. According to the Zehr Institute, restorative processes "bring groups of people together to share perspectives and concerns and collaboratively find solutions to the problems facing their families and communities". Participants may include the offender, victim, and community members. Restorative processes can be applied in many different contexts, including families, schools, communities, workplaces, and the justice system.
One way to look at restorative processes is to compare key questions asked by the traditional justice system when an incident occurs. The traditional justice system asks the following questions: (1) What law was broken? (2) Who broke it? (3) What punishment is warranted? Restorative Justice offers a new set of questions: (1) Who has been hurt? (2) What are their needs? (3) Who is responsible to address these needs? (4) What processes can be used to make things right? In this way, restorative processes teach accountability and identify appropriate ways to repair relationships impacted by the harm.
One way to look at restorative processes is to compare key questions asked by the traditional justice system when an incident occurs. The traditional justice system asks the following questions: (1) What law was broken? (2) Who broke it? (3) What punishment is warranted? Restorative Justice offers a new set of questions: (1) Who has been hurt? (2) What are their needs? (3) Who is responsible to address these needs? (4) What processes can be used to make things right? In this way, restorative processes teach accountability and identify appropriate ways to repair relationships impacted by the harm.
