Pros And Cons Of Restorative Justice

The Criminal Justice system in Ghana defines a crime as an act against the state rather than an act against the individual and the community at large. It focuses more on punishment and retributive justice instead of restorative justice, which takes into consideration the victims, and healing the harm caused them. Victims often feel vulnerable and defenseless. Some even feel twice victimized, first by the offender and then by an uncaring criminal justice system that does not make adequate provision for them be it physical, psychological or material. They often play a totally inactive role in the criminal justice system; oftentimes they are even deprived of basic assistance or information. A criminal act beyond being a violation of the law also causes injury and distress. The traditional criminal justice system fails to address the harm suffered by the victim but rather focusses on what sanction the offender deserves. Offenders are rarely confronted with the human element of their criminal behavior: that victims are real people, not just objects to be maltreated and neglected.

Victim –Offender mediation stems from the Restorative justice concept, a framework which views the victim, the community and the offender as those harmed by the offense. To repair this collective harm, restorative justice requires the active involvement of all affected parties to make the offender answerable and to restore the