Restorative justice encompasses a variety of approaches and programs based on a core set of principles. Victims’ needs and offenders’ responsibility for repairing harm are the central focus. Zehr illustrates how this is in direct contrast to the Western criminal justice system, which has been established to view crime as a violation of law that requires the state to assign blame and punishment so offenders “get what they deserve.”
In The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Good Books, 2002), Zehr writes that the “harms and related needs” of victims, communities, and offenders, result in obligations of offenders and communities, and “engagement of those who have a legitimate interest or stake in the offense and its resolution (victims, offenders, and community members).” Thus, he identifies the three pillars of restorative justice:
- Restorative justice focuses on harm.
- Wrongs or harms result in obligations.
- Restorative justice promotes engagement or participation.
Restorative justice cannot be imposed. It should be “collaborative and inclusive,” with outcomes that are as consensual as possible. The aim is to “put things right” by addressing harms and addressing causes. Those causes include harms offenders have experienced.
To approach situations with a restorative philosophy requires respect for all involved. It must be rooted in deeper values, such as the equal worth of all people, appreciation for diversity, and a belief in the interconnectedness of communities. Ultimately, Zehr wrote that if he had to choose one supreme required value for pursuing restorative justice, it would be “respect for all, even those who are different from us, even those who seem to be our enemies.”
Visit
www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy/links.asp for links
to more information about restorative justice.