What Is Restorative Justice?

Full Video Transcript

In criminal justice, the restorative framework emphasizes the need to repair victims harmed through various means such as negotiation, reparation, or mediation. Traditionally, rehabilitation and deterrence were the staple series of punishment in the United States. More recently, many jurisdictions throughout the United States have begun to employ a restorative model to address the needs of crime victims.  Restorative justice focuses on reconciliation between victim and offender. Emphasis is put on the harm done to the victim and the relationships affected by the crime, as opposed to the punishment traditionally imposed on the offender. Proponents of the restorative justice model emphasize the need to involve the community in addressing and rectifying criminal behavior. The premise behind restorative justice requires cooperation of both victim and offender — not coercion — to participate.