RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: PART 2

Philosophy, Assumptions, Uses

Restorative Justice is not……

•Harsh•A substitute for other penalties•A substitute for the court system

Restorative Justice is……

•Method to add a human touch to a negative crime/situation•Social work•Way to give an offender a second chance/apologise/communicate

Restorative Justice is……

•Based on philosophy that:• “Crime is a violation of people and interpersonal relationships• Violations create obligations• The central obligation is to put right the wrongs.” (Zehr)

• Built upon three pillars:

Harm and Needs Obligations Engagement

“Restorative justice requires, at a minimum, that we address the victims’ harms and needs, hold offenders accountable to put right those harms, and involve victims, offenders and communities in this process.” (Zehr)

Restorative Justice is not……

•“Primarily about forgiveness or reconciliation…

•Mediation…

•Primarily designed to reduce recidivism or repeating offenses…•A specific program or blueprint…

•Not a new or North American model…•Panacea nor replacement…

•Necessarily an alternative to prison…

•Necessarily the opposite of retribution…” (Zehr)

Restorative Justice is……

•An alternative framework for considering issues of justice and crime.

Diagrams from Howard Zehr

Restorative Justice is……

•Goals of a restorative justice approach• “put key decisions into the hands of those most affected

by crime;• Make justice more healing and ideally more

transformative• Reduce the likelihood of future offenses” (Zehr)

•Guiding questions of a restorative justice approach• “Who has been hurt?• What are their needs?• Whose obligations are these?• Who has a stake in this situation?• What is the appropriate process to involve stakeholders

in an effort to put things right?” (Zehr)

Restorative Justice is……

•Focused on Needs• Victims- Information, Truth-telling, Empowerment,

Restitution/Vindication• Offenders- Accountability, Transformative healing,

Encouragement for integration, Temporary restraint• Communities- Attention to concerns, Build Community

and Mutual Accountability, Foster conditions

•Values• Interconnectedness• Particularity • Respect

Restorative Justice is……

•Signposts of a restorative justice approach• Focus on the harms of crime rather than the rules…• Equal concern and commitment to victims and

offenders…• Restoration of victims through empowerment…• Support offenders to understand accept and carry out

their obligations…• Obligations may be difficult, but not be intended as

harms…• Provide opportunity for direct/indirect dialogue…• Meaningful community involvement…• Collaboration and reintegration rather than coercion and

isolation…• Attention to unintended consequences of the program

itself…• Respect for all parties (Mika and Zehr)

Using your assigned section with the groups below:•Summarise the information.•Establish 3 underlying assumptions and connect them directly.•Generate 3 critical questions regarding Restorative Justice as it was presented in your document.

Part A•Michael•Ford•Jack•Zach•Akash

Part B•Benedict•Eric•Evan•Nabil•Josh

Homework

1. Read Excerpt

2. Take one of the 6 critical questions or assumptions from the discussion and research a resource that addresses that question or assumption.

Supports, challenges, explains, exemplifies, etc…