The challenges of this era have caused many criminal justice practitioners to re-evaluate some of the basic tenets and practices of the system responsible for providing justice in our country. Historically our system is based on an assumption that “the state” assumes responsibility for all those impacted in the justice system. This approach has been widely challenged in recent years with victims and other parties expressing a desire to be heard and represented in this process. Our current system is primarily offender-oriented with the state’s interest driving the process.
Prison overcrowding, extensive correctional resources dedicated to relatively minor and non-violent offenders and the desire for additional involvement in the process by those previously not represented have caused many jurisdictions to look for
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While adherence to the principles is the most important aspect, communities and jurisdictions can develop an approach that is most likely to be successful in their area.
There is a great deal of flexibility in determining the best solution for a community. The key component is a strong relationship between the criminal justice practitioners and the resources of the community. There must be recognition that victim and community have an interest in being a working part of criminal justice and public safety in their area.
Restorative justice programs target the ultimate goals of improving public safety and reducing the likelihood that additional criminal activity will occur. The retribution model of sentencing in the United States has not always been seen as an effective method of achieving those goals, thus alternatives like restorative/reparative justice are gaining in popularity around the country. And, their effectiveness cannot be