Restorative Justice Programs are becoming more and more of a debated issue as to whether or not they are actually working for their intended purpose. Decades ago the main type of justice was that if you committed a crime you were going to serve a prison term for your wrong doing that was up to a judge or jury to determine your fate. The availability of restorative justice programs that offered offenders the chance to interact with their victims and get the help that they needed with addictive issues and criminal behavior issues were almost nonexistent. Over the years as the criminal justice organization was searching for new ways to combat the growing issue of crime and recidivism new techniques and methods were found to have far better results …show more content…
Many people have become interested in restorative justice programs, especially since they costs so much of taxpayer dollars and they are impacting programs such as in public schools. Confirming the positive or successful results of restorative justice programs can be slightly difficult given the ever changing nature of participants and a variety of factors that come into play for them especially in rehabilitation programs. When restorative justice regulations and rules are established and provide concrete clear guidance for the healing and social well-being of these programs the success rate is much higher. With prison overcrowding, money running out, and resources diminishing, alternative methods are being implemented with the help of local community leaders as well as victims in restorative justice. Programs through restorative justice that use the max participation of the victims can aid in both the victims and offender from healing from what happened. Most programs are not in any way catered to the criticism of the offender but allows them to actively show that they are willing to change and must abide by the rules and responsibilities that they will have imposed on them. Most of the time the victim’s in current restorative justice programs establish the terms, rules, and obligations for the offenders through the help and guidance of local community leaders, parole, and or prison officials. This allows offenders to understand and comprehend the other side of the issue and see firsthand what exactly they put their victims through. The healing process is not intended to be just for victim’s but also for offenders as the overall goal is a future preventive measure so that repeating of criminal activity is not done. Understanding crime and where it started gets to the root of the problem so a better plan of understanding can help eliminate the issue so