Restorative justice is an alternative approach to criminal justice, which focuses less on abstract legal principles and more on the needs and interests of all parties affected within a particular situation (Williams & Arrigo, 2012 p.206). Restorative justice focuses attention on who was affected or harmed by an action; it allows the person who caused the harm and the community to create a meaningful solution. The victim offender mediation is a restorative justice program where the person who has suffered physical or emotional harm, property damage, or economic loss as a result of a crime meets with his or her offender face to face in the presence of a trained mediator in a safe structured environment. In this program the victims have the chance to talk about …show more content…
By righting the wrong the offender might have a chance to avoid prosecution and be able to restore their self -image as a good and competent person. Furthermore the crime in the community may be impacted by a reduction and repeat incidence by making offenders understand how they have hurt someone. The goal is to offer provision and compensation to the victim. Also the person harmed is able to let the person who committed the illegal act know how the crime affected them. The offender is able to take a responsibility for their behavior and to learn the impact of what they did and make a plan for restitution to the person he or she violated. To be effective only lawbreakers who admit their wrong doing and express remorse and concern or desire to make amends are allowed to participate in the victim offender mediation program. Justice equals punishment, a person who does the crime must do the time. In non- violent crimes the victim, offender mediation program can be more effective than punishment. On the other hand, when a convicted offender is removed from the community and locked up they are prevented from committing future