Director Martha McLafferty describes what restorative justice means and what the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center does.
River Valley Chronicle with Martha McLafferty presented by High Horses
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice is a victim-centered, community-based approach for responding to crime. It focuses on the harm that was caused and what needs to happen to make things better. The goal is to build understanding, encourage accountability, and provide an opportunity for healing.
In restorative justice, the main questions are:
- Who was harmed?
- What are their needs?
- Whose obligations are these?
Three Pillars of Restorative Justice
* The following diagram and excerpts are pulled and/or adapted from Howard
Zehr’s The Little Book of Restorative Justice *
Pillar One: Harms and Needs
Restorative Justice understands crime as harm done to people and communities. For restorative justice, then, justice begins with a concern for victims and their needs. It seeks to repair the harm as much as possible.
While our first concern must be the harm experienced by victims, the focus on harm implies that we also need to be concerned about harm experienced by the community and the responsible party.
Pillar Two: Obligations
Restorative Justice holds that harm results in obligations. Those who have caused harm have an obligation to comprehend the consequences of their behavior and repair the harm caused. The community has an obligation to respond to harm being done within the community.
Pillar Three: Engagement
Restorative Justice promotes participation. Restorative Justice understands that crime always has “stakeholders” or primary parties affected by crime: the victim, the community, and the responsible party. These stakeholders should be involved in deciding what justice requires. Volunteers act as the voice of the community.
Criminal vs. Restorative Justice
Restorative justice is very different from the traditional criminal justice perspective. Why is this important? Because no crime exists in a vacuum. There are always people affected, even if there is no identifiable victim. It is important to note, that while the philosophies differ, the Restorative Justice Panel process is still a function of and embedded in the traditional criminal justice system.
Consider the comparisons between criminal justice and restorative justice:
| Criminal Justice | Restorative Justice |
|---|---|
| Principles | |
| – Crime is a violation of the law and the state – Violations create guilt – Justice requires the state to determine blame (guilt) and impose pain (punishment) | – Crime is a violation of people and relationships – Violations create obligations – Justice involved victims, offenders, and community members in an effort to make things as right as possible |
| Central Focus | |
| – Offenders “getting what they deserve” – Punishment | – Victim needs – Accountability |
| Questions | |
| – What laws have been broken? – Who did it? – What do they deserve? | – Who has been hurt? – What are their needs? – Whose obligations are these? |
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