Restorative Justice

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice is a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to justice that emphasizes healing in victims, meaningful accountability of offenders, and the involvement of citizens in creating healthier, safer communities.

Crime is a violation of people and relationships. Restorative justice works to repair the damage and promote healing and growth -.important tools in finding more peaceful and collaborative ways of resolving conflicts in our society.

It strives to provide support and opportunities for voluntary participation and communication between those affected - victims, offenders, and community - to encourage accountability, reparation, and movement towards understanding, feelings of satisfaction, healing and closure.

What does RJ mean to you?

• Restorative justice approaches - Victim-Offender Mediation, Community Conferencing, Surrogate Victim/Offender Mediation, and Peacemaking Circles - strive to repair the damage created among people due to a crime or incidence of conflict and thereby promote healing and growth for everyone affected.
  
  
• Restorative justice practices contrast the current traditional justice system as it seeks to heal all parties affected by crime - the victim, the offender and the community - as opposed to primarily punishing the lawbreaker.
  
  
• Restorative justice actively involves the victim and provides them with a voice. It ultimately ensures the victim with a safe and supportive environment to participate in the restorative justice process.
  
  
• Restorative justice is not "soft on offenders". The process increases offender accountability, offers a level of vindication and restitution for the victim, and helps the community rebuild its confidence in public safety and the justice system.
  
  
• Most offenders who have participated in a restorative justice process have stated that it is much harder to be accountable and acknowledge their crimes, face their victims and community members rather than to simply "do time".
  
  
• Results to date indicate that victims who participate in a restorative justice programs experience a far higher rate of satisfaction than they had previously gained from the traditional justice system.
  
  
• Restorative justice projects are under way in every Province and Territory across Canada.
  
  
• CSC supports and works with a wide variety of partners across Canada to encourage the development of restorative approaches throughout the criminal justice process and in dealing with all types of conflict.