Benefits of Restorative Justice
Restorative justice has various benefits for all involved parties. For instance, it offers victims a chance to meet or communicate through letters and videos with their offenders to explain the real impact of the crime. The dialogue, which is safe and secure, makes victims feel recognized, empowered, and invested in. During the talk, a victim’s needs are well addressed, giving them a voice in an often impersonal system. Again, restorative justice facilitates a victim’s recovery and satisfaction. It helps victims recover what was taken from them, giving them a sense of security and peace of mind.
Restorative justice allows family members (significant people) in the victim lives to help manage the response to an offense. The process seeks to bring people together and strengthen relationships for victim’s quick recovery. As a result, restorative justice helps family members to understand the victims hurt their feelings and the necessary support. This process provides an opportunity for family members to encourage the victim to accept what has been done to them and help in the recovery process.
The restorative justice process also allows offenders to make things right by expressing remorse and apologizing to their victims. This way, the offenders can put the incident behind them and move on with peace knowing that the matter is settled. The process is also swift compared to the criminal justice system; hence, offenders can easily and quickly make meaningful life transformations. Finally, the restorative justice system has a higher compliance and completion rate than the criminal justice system.
The restorative justice process helps communities by reducing the rate of recidivism. The system has a high success rate and hence reduces repeat offenses. It also provides increased safety and security to the community. The less crime, the more safe and secure a community is. The restorative approach is cost-effective since it saves the state money that could be used to imprison an offender. Then, the process helps build a stronger community and active citizenship.
David gets drunk and beats up his friend, Frank. Instead of being taken to the criminal justice program, David is taken to the restorative justice program and made to explain what was wrong and apologizes to Frank. This meeting is official, and David is made to write his apology and promises never to do it again. This is done in front of a judge, probation officer, and both the victim and offenders families.