Restorative Justice

How High Are We Willing to React?

If crime is more that lawbreaking,
then:

 Justice requires that we work to

heal victims, communities, and
offenders who have been injured
by crime.
If crime is more that lawbreaking,
then:
 Victims, communities and
offenders should have
opportunities for active
involvement in the justice
process as early and as fully as
possible
If crime is more that lawbreaking,
then:
 We must re-think the relative
roles and responsibilities of the
government and the community.
Government is responsible for
preserving a just order and the
community for establishing a
just peace.
What Does the Public Want?
 Safety from violent offenders
 Accountability
 Involvement in the system
 Opportunities for rehabilitation
 Repair of harm; Care of victims
A System to Meet the Need
 Community safety

 Accountability

 Repairing the harm

 Involvement of all
 HOW?
 What do communities expect
from the juvenile justice system?

 improved public safety

 Sanctioned juvenile crime
 reduced re-offending
History of Restorative
Justice
 1899 Illinois Juvenile Court Act

 By 1950, 35 states with

“Children’s Code”

 OJJDP Established in 1977

 Balanced Approach Develops

What is Restorative Justice?
 Restorative justice is a comprehensive
philosophy that promotes a balanced
consideration of community protection,
offender accountability and competency
development.
 It speaks to every aspect of delinquency,
punishment, treatment and prevention.
 Its goal is a juvenile system that truly
operates in the best interest of the child
and the community.
Restorative Justice
 Who are the stakeholders in any
justice system?

 Victim

 Community

 Offenders
Restorative Justice
 Victims, communities s and
offenders have opportunities for
active involvement in the justice
process as early and as fully as
possible.
Goals of Restorative Justice:

 Healing victims, communities

and offenders who have been
injured by crime.
Restorative Justice:

 Relative roles and

responsibilities of the
government and the community
are defined.
 Restorative justice provides a
balanced emphasis on meeting
the needs of crime victims,
offenders and communities.
 Restorative justice also addresses
the goals of juvenile justice
though a larger focus on
repairing harm and rebuilding
relationships.
The Balanced Approach Mission
 When crime = harm and justice =
repair, and when the active
participation of victims and
community members is emphasized

WHAT CAN COMMUNITIES EXPECT?

 A justice system that promotes not
only the best interest of the child
but also best interest of the
community
The Balanced Approach Mission

 Te restorative justice system

addresses and balances public
safety, sanctioning and
rehabilitative objectives.
What is BARJ?: An Overview
 BALANCED AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
(BARJ) is a new framework for juvenile
justice that seeks to engage citizens and
community groups both as customers of
juvenile justice services, and as resources in
A MORE EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO YOUTH
CRIME.
 To do this, the balanced approach mission
attempts to ensure that community safety is
enhanced, offenders are held accountable
in constructive ways and young people leave
justice system more capable to become
responsible, productive citizens.
Principles of the BARJ approach

COMPETENCY OF DEVELOPMENT
Young offenders Increased ability
build to become
competencies contributing
and strengthen
relationships = members of
their
with law- community.
abiding adults
and pro-social
community
groups.
Principles of the BARJ approach

 ACCOUNTABILITY

 Offenders take responsibility for the

harm caused to victims
 They make amends by restoring
losses
 Communities and victims play
active roles in the sanctioning
process.
Principles of the BARJ approach

• PUBLIC SAFETY
 Communities are capable of preventing
crimes and monitoring offenders and at
risk-youth.

 New relationships between juvenile justice

professionals and schools, employers,
families, neighbors and other community
groups are forged and citizens are
empowered to identify and addresses
problems that foster criminal behavior.
Involvement of All Critical to BARJ Approach

STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED

PUNITIVE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE JUSTICE

 Offender Victim

 Government Offender

Community

Government
Guiding Values of A New System

 Repairing the harm

 Promoting Community Safety

 Providing Offender
Accountability
Repairing the harm

 What activities can ensure that

an offender is meeting the
victim’s and the community’s
needs?
 Restitution – creative earnings
 Restorative community service
 Victim satisfaction
 Community development projects
 Transferable skills
Repairing the harm
 Desired Outcomes:

 Victims restored by restitution and service

 Victim’s satisfaction
 Communities strengthened

 Offenders earn a place in the community

and services from the community
Promoting Community Safety

 What can reduce the likelihood

of re-offense by an offender?
 Capable guardianship
 Move offender from liability to asset
for the community
 Offer opportunity to practice and
demonstrate competent behavior
 Promote relationships with law-
abiding community to foster
resistance to new crime
Community Safety

 Desired outcomes

 Crime prevention and citizen

involvement
 Juvenile crime reduction and
subsequent adult convictions
 Increased social control at the
neighborhood level
 Successful offender reintegration
Providing Offender Accountability

 What can hold the offender

accountable to the community?

 Law Abiding Behavior

 Competency Development
 Drug and Alcohol Abstinence
 School participation
 Restorative Community Service
Offender Accountability

 Desired outcomes

 Juvenile crime reduced

 Alcohol and drug use reduced
 Valued community projects
completed
 Higher graduation rates
 Social control developed
 Why do it?
 To meet community expectations:

 Safety from violent offenders

 Accountability
 Involvement in the system
 Opportunities for rehabilitation
 Repair of harm; Care of victims
How high can we go?
 Communities ensure the well
being of all children and
juveniles.
 Victim’s needs and concerns are
the primary focus of the juvenile
system.
 Courts provide leadership in
each community
Why Measure Our Outcomes?

 To determine the impact of

community and restorative
justice on the justice system
 To refine balanced and
restoratively principal activities
to serve all stakeholders
 To ensure that the “best interests
of all child” are being met
New Pathways

 Community provide alternatives to

community justice options for most
first time offenders.
 Community involved with the system
manage juvenile offenders and offer
competency development.
 Partnerships between public and
private entities promote community
safety, accountability and
competency development.
Back to the future: The Peak

 Juvenile justice system is devoted

to the “best interest of the child”
 Citizens serve as mentors and
agents of the family court.
 Children under age 12 are not
committed to confinement.
 Community is in partnership
with the system for the sake of
our kids and the community.
End of Presentation

Thank You