What is restorative justice?

Restorative justice is fundamentally oriented towards repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior, rather than focusing solely on punishing the offender. This approach emphasizes reconciliation between the victim, the offender, and the community. The goal is to address the needs of the victims, hold offenders accountable, and promote healing for all parties involved. By fostering dialogue and understanding, restorative justice aims to restore relationships and reintegrate the offender into the community in a constructive manner.

This contrasts sharply with approaches that are solely punitive or focused on increasing incarceration rates, as those do not typically engage with the victim's or community's need for restoration and healing. Restorative justice, therefore, represents a more holistic and reparative methodology in the context of juvenile justice.