Lesson 12 – Restorative Justice

Question 1

What is Restorative Justice?

Answer 1

Restorative justice- process which occurs between the offender and the victim based on the principles of healing and empowerment

Question 2

What does restorative justice switch the emphasis from?

Answer 2

Switches emphasis from needs of state (enforce the law and punish criminals) to needs of victim (come to terms with crime and move on with their lives)

Question 3

How does restorative justice switch the emphasis?

Answer 3

Victims encouraged to take active role in punishment of offender and offenders required to take responsibility for their actions and face up to what they have done to their victim

Question 4

How do restorative justice sessions work?

Answer 4

Trained mediator facilitates meeting between offender and victim
Victim given the opportunity to confront offender and explain how crime affected them
Offender confronted with consequences of their actions, including the emotional 😭 distress they have caused the victim

Question 5

What are the key features of Restorative Justice programmes?

Answer 5

1) Focus on acceptance of responsibility and ➕ change for offenders (⬇️ emphasis on punishment)
2) ✖️ restricted to courtrooms, survivors (seen as ⬆️ empowering than ‘victims’) and offenders meet face-to-face in a non-courtroom setting
3) Active rather than passive involvement of all parties in the process
4) Focus on ➕ outcomes for survivors and offenders

Question 6

What may offenders physically do in Restorative Justice?

Answer 6

Offenders may make financial 💵 repayments for the physical and emotional 😭 damage they have done Offenders sometimes even repair damaged property 🏠 themselves

Question 7

What is Restorative Justice an alternative to?

Answer 7

Alternative to custodial sentences especially if offender young
Act as an additional to community service or as incentive to ⬇️ existing custodial sentence

Question 8

What are the evaluation points of Restorative Justice?

Answer 8

👍- A psychologist conducted a government funded research project and found that every £1 spent on restorative justice would save the criminal justice system £8 by ⬇️ reoffending.
BUT restorative justice very expensive 💵 as requires specialist and highly trained professionals … finding funding proved to be challenging
👎- success of restorative justice relies on offender showing remorse- some offenders sign up to avoid prison or reduce sentence, rather than for a genuine willingness to change- explains ⬆️ dropout rates in restorative justice- offenders often change their mind because ✖️ committed to process in first place
👎- Restorative justice unpopular with general public because seen as ‘soft option’- … politicians unwilling to support it as they want to please electorate (people voting 🗳) by seeming ‘tough on crime’
👎- organisation ‘Women’s Aid’ called for end to the use of restorative justice in domestic abuse cases because offender can exploit opportunity to convince victim to take them back- abusers have a lot of power over victims … meeting between them dangerous