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Restorative justice, response to criminal behaviour that focuses on lawbreaker restitution and the resolution of the issues arising from a crime in which victims, offenders, and the community are brought together to restore the harmony between the parties.
Restorative justice creates an opportunity for meaningful and active accountability by taking responsibility and working to repair the harm caused in a way that does not cause further harm and is responsive to the needs of those most affected.
By repairing the harm to the relationships between offenders and victims, and offenders and the community that resulted from the crime, restorative justice seeks to understand and address the circumstances which contributed to the crime.
Restorative justice is a response to wrongdoing that prioritizes repairing harm and recognizes that maintaining positive relationships with others is a core human need. It seeks to address the root causes of crime, even to the point of transforming unjust systems and structures.
What is Restorative Justice? Restorative justice is a set of principles and practices that create a different approach to dealing with crime and its impacts. Restorative justice practices work to address the dehumanization frequently experienced by people in the traditional criminal justice system.
At its core, restorative justice defines “justice” in a radically different way than conventional criminal justice responses. Rather than justice as “punishment,” restorative justice conceives of justice as “repair” to the harm caused by crime and conflict.
Restorative justice presents a “paradigm shift” away from existing forms of justice based on punitive measures such as incarceration and towards community-based measures that address harm for the individual (s) harmed, the individual (s) who did the harm, and the larger community.
The commonly accepted definition for "restorative justice" used internationally is "a process whereby parties with a stake in a specific offense resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offense and its implications for the future."
In contrast to punitive justice, which can stifle these desires, restorative justice promotes healing and growth. It provides a framework that fosters empathy, understanding, and collaboration, which are essential for true recovery and community building.
The three core elements of restorative justice are the interconnected concepts of Encounter, Repair, and Transform. Each element is discrete and essential. Together they represent a journey toward wellbeing and wholeness that victims, offenders, and community members can experience.