Restorative Justice Essay

Fania Davis, an author, and leader in restorative justice once said, “It is clear that the way to heal society of its violence… and lack of love Is to replace the pyramid of domination with the circle of love and respect.” For this reason, restorative justice is more effective than retributive justice at reducing recidivism in The Youth Criminal Justice System. Restorative justice is superior because it allows for accountability in the offender, as well as healing for the victim. Whereas retributive justice simply focuses on the punishment of the offender and does not focus on rehabilitation.

Restorative justice generally results in a reduced recidivism rate because the offender is held accountable for their actions. Restorative justice is

After that has been established, the group identifies the core reason the youth offender committed the crime. Following, with how to make amends, punishment, and rehabilitation for all parties. The book ‘Accountability in Restorative Justice’, by Declan Roche, discusses the effectiveness of accountability in restorative justice stating, “Meetings give to victims the opportunity to express in their own words the harm they have suffered, and to offenders the opportunity to explain their actions and make amends, and perhaps assuage their feelings of guilt,” (page 2). Having the offender hear face to face the consequences of their actions makes them feel a strong sense of guilt and regretfulness. This often results in the offender having sympathy and sorrow for the victim, and the offender not wanting to cause this harm again to someone else, will put more effort into not being incarcerated. For example, the Onashowewin Justice

Britannica defines retributive justice, as “a response to criminal behavior that focuses on the punishment of lawbreakers and the compensation of victims. In general, the severity of the punishment is proportionate to the seriousness of the crime.” Retributive justice’s form of punishment generally takes shape in the form of prison time. In 1999, Jonathon Aitkin spent 18 months in jail for perjury. In 2004, he conducted a study regarding the effectiveness of retributive justice, he published his findings in an article by the Sunday zap Time titled ‘Stop Punishing Criminals, It Doesn’t Work’. “Retributive justice rarely focuses on healing, victims, communities, restoration, or changes of heart and mind. During my prison sentence, I met many young villains who had no sense of moral responsibility because they thought their crimes were against the government or property.” In the previous paragraph, it was established that accountability, and having the offender see the effects the crime had on the victim, were the reason restorative justice was so effective, leading to rehabilitation and reduced recidivism. Retributive justice takes all of that away, and instead of focusing on rehabilitation, it focuses on punishment. The issue is that the offender believes they are being punished by the government. Where instead, the