Restorative Justice Paper

Restorative Justice

CJS/251

ABSTRACT

There are many processes that the law has to go through. One of those processes is the restorative justice process. There will be many things explained throughout this essay like the following: what is the restorative justice process? Some crime case studies and how the restorative justice process differs from the contemporary criminal justice process. Lots of things will be learned and a lot of questions will be answered.

What is restorative justice? The definition of restorative justice “offers to alternative to the traditional criminal and juvenile justice systems to replace harsh school discipline processes” (www.legal.discionary.com). Restorative justice also holds potential for the possible victims and to their families to have a direct voice in determining just the outcomes. That also reestablishes the role of the community in supporting all parties affected by that crime. Did you know that several restorative models have been shown to reduce recidivism and, when embraced as a larger-scale solution to wrongdoing, can also minimize the social and fiscal costs of crime? That’s a lot of information for a part of justice.

The effects that went beyond harm to the immediate victim was that Mrs. Mildred didn’t feel safe after two men broken into her house while visiting her daughter. She was also traumatized when she found out that she was robbed and that there were robbers in her house while she was away. She was also able to get victim support from her daughter, a close friend, and another friend of hers, John. She got a lot of information from the close friends, Helen, and told her that there is a community group called the Caring Neighbors. She couldn’t trust people after the break-in that occurred at her house (www.victimsupport.com). if anyone was in her shoes, they would feel the same way.

A good question is how does the restorative justice process differ from contemporary criminal justice processes? There are several ways that restorative justice differs from contemporary justice, not only because they are two different words, but because they might go under the law category, but they have different meanings. For example, restorative justice views criminal activity more comprehensive. This process “recognizes that not only do criminals harm victims, but they all harm communities and themselves because it makes people to want to trust and believe them in any situation” (www.legaldictionary.com).

How did the restorative justice process benefit David, Mildred, and the community? For Mildred, her fear was significantly reduced after the court hearing with David, Barbra made sure that neighbors who attended the public meeting were introduced to Mildred, and several years later, as Mildred’s health started to go south, she moved into a nursing home, where she got several visitors on the daily basis. As for David, he successfully completed his agreement, and his relationship with his parents improved impressively in part because of the course that they decided to take and the time he spent with his uncle. David also entered the RJ City Community College and began to coach a Little League baseball team. And last but not least, the community. The community benefited from this because there was no more robberies that involved them and was happy that there was some form of action taken place. They were also happy to know that Mildred was at a nursing home where she could be taken care of so that she could get healthier and better. The cops did their part and was able to teach the young men a lesson about the negative decision that they chose to make, and was able to correct it in the proper way.

A lot of things were learned and gathered throughout this essay. We learned more about the effects that went beyond harm to the immediate victim in the break-in of Mrs. Mildred, how the restorative justice process differs from contemporary criminal justice processes, and how the restorative justice process benefited David, Mildred, and the community.

Works cited

(n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Restorative Justice

How crime can affect you. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-victims/practical-information/how-crime-can-affect-you

RJ City. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from http://www.rjcity.org/the-city/the-meaning-of-rj-in-the-city/definition-of-restorative-justice/

The Trauma of Victimization. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2015, from https://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/trauma-of-victimization