Victims get the opportunity to:
- Obtain information – ask questions of the offender to understand what happened and the underlying reasons for the offence
- Express the impact – directly tell the person who caused them harm how their actions have affected them
- Be Empowered – be part of the decision-making process regarding what will happen next and how to deal with the aftermath of the incident
- Obtain Restitution – be able to ask for restitution, both concrete and symbolic
Offenders benefit by:
- Taking Accountability – opportunity to take accountability for the offence and meet face-to-face with the victim and community in order to repair the harm done
- Personal Transformation – opportunity to address and heal the underlying issues that contributed to their offending behaviour
- Reintegration – through taking accountability and righting the wrongs offenders may feel good about being in the community again
The community benefits:
- As Secondary Victims – attention to their concerns as victims
- Responsibility - opportunities to (re)build a sense of community and mutual accountability
- Empowerment – opportunities to act on their obligations for the welfare of their members
“The thrust toward a more community- and victim-based system of justice is not a new phenomenon, but rather a resurgence of a historically prevalent approach to crime and conflict. Our current criminal justice paradigm, which we consider so natural, so logical, has in fact governed our understanding of crime and justice for only a few centuries. It is a non-judicial and non-legal community-based approach that has dominated Western history. Restorative justice has been the dominant model of criminal justice throughout most of human history.”
Department of Justice Canada (2010, January 8 )
Restorative justice benefits community members, schools and even businesses. Our programs effectively combat shoplifting and graffiti problems which can drain local business resources. Victoria Restorative Justice Society envisions a society where restorative practices once again become an everyday part of our lives.
In 2010 our program recovered $10,004.08 in restitution, which was returned to the community and victims of crime.
