Restorative Justice Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Restorative Justice Process - Essay Example The restorative justice process in this case can be said to involve two main processes; victim-offender mediation and restorative circles. The process begins with mediation between the offender and the victim subject the wishes of both parties. The offender and the victim may meet in the presence of a qualified mediator if both wish to do so (Nelsen, 1996). Otherwise, the offender may send a written apology to the victim. Once this is complete, a circle meeting is held with more participants included in the process. Some of those who participate at this level include the victim, the offender, their friends, family, and some professionals. During the circle meeting, which is voluntarily attended, consequences of the offender’s actions are discussed and restitution measures proposed and agreed on (restorativejustice.org, 2012). At this stage, members of the community are involved in discussing the effects that the crime has on their lives and what can be done to avoid future occurrences of similar crimes. In the event that the offender denies responsibility, they are subjected to an adversarial court trial with the option of recalling the cooperative process that follows if they confess to the crime that they are accused of committing. Alternatively, when one is found guilty of an offence by the adversarial court, they are given a sentence which in part includes paying restitution. Morris, A. & Maxwell, G. (2001). "Restorative conferencing", in Bazemore, G.; Schiff, M., Restorative community justice: Repairing harm and transforming communities, Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing