Some Restorative Justice Benefits to Offenders and Victims of Crime

Abstract

The challenges of restorative justice produce a range benefits to offenders and victims of crime. It seems that the best way to understand the pros and cons of implementing a certain program is to analyze and to evaluate the results within a certain time period. There are several objectives, which are used to measure the results of restorative justice. These include the following: the offender accepts responsibility for the crime; the offender faces and apologizes to the victim; the victim participates actively in dealing with the crime; the victim achieves adequate reparation and emotional healing; the disturbed relationship is re-established with harmony and balance. These goals pose a different position for the offender and the victim in the framework of restorative justice, as compared to court trials. The two people are active participants and stakeholders in dealing with the crime. They are their own judges and decision-makers as to how to resolve issues arising from the criminal act in the interests of both sides. Thus, restorative justice encourages and motivates them to take responsibility for their own conflict, the offender as to the illegality of his action and the victim as to a responsibility to protect himself in the future.
Bearing in mind that restorative justice is a different, nontraditional response to crime, due to its informal, human and nonviolent way of dealing with crime, it produces certain benefits to offenders and victims that are main subject in this work.

Key words: restorative justice, offender, victim, reconciliation, crime