Restorative Justice is a philosophical approach to criminal justice that differs from our current justice system. Restorative justice views crime as a violation of people and relationships, rather than primarily as a violation of law. Justice serves to identify how people have been harmed by the crime and what they need in order to feel that the damages have been repaired. Offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for these harms and needs and take steps to "put right the wrongs" to the greatest extent possible. The justice process is one that invites the active participation of victims, offenders and communities in determining the best possible justice response for reparations and restoration to occur.

A common practice of restorative justice is victim offender mediation, a process that brings victims and offenders together in face to face meetings to discuss the crime and its aftermath and, if appropriate, to make plans for restitution. The philosophy of restorative justice is being applied to a number of different criminal justice arenas including prisons, policing, parole and sentencing.

You are doing restorative justice when you…

• Focus on the harms of crime rather than the rules that have been broken,
• Show equal concern and commitment for victims and offenders, involving both in the process of justice,
• Work toward the restoration of victims, empowering them and responding to their needs as they see them,
• Support offenders while encouraging them to understand, accept and carry out their obligations,
• Recognize that while obligations may be difficult for offenders, they should not be intended as harms and they must be achievable,
• Provide opportunities for dialogue, direct or indirect, between victim and offender as appropriate,
• Find meaningful ways to involve the community and to respond to community bases of crime,
• Encourage collaboration and reintegration rather than coercion and isolation,
• Give attention to the unintended consequences of your actions and programs,
• Show respect to all parties - victims, offenders, justice colleagues.
  
  Crime wounds….justice heals

(Harry Mika and Howard Zehr)