Restorative Justice

Problem-solving central

Focus on the future

Needs are primary

Dialogue normative

Searches for commonalities

Restoration and reparation considered normative

Emphasis on repair of social injuries

Harm by offender balanced by making right

Victims’ needs central

Victim and offender are key elements

Information provided to victims

Restitution normal

Victims given chance to “tell the truth”

Victims’ suffering lamented and acknowledged

Offender given role in solution

Victim/offender/com-munity roles recognized

Offender has responsibility in resolution

Responsible behavior encouraged

Harmful act denounced

Offender’s integration into community increased

Offender viewed holistically

Sense of balance through restitution

Balance righted by raising both victim and offender

Justice as right relationships

Victim-offender relationships central

Process aims at reconciliation

Response based on consequences of offender’s behavior

Repentance and forgiveness encouraged

Victim and offender central; professional help available

Mutuality and cooperation encouraged

Total context relevant

 Makes possible win-win outcomes

Retributive Justice

Blame-fixing central

Focus on the past

Needs are secondary

Battle model: adversarial

Emphasizes differences

Imposition of pain considered normative

One social injury added to another

Harm by offender balanced by harm to offender

Focus on offender; victim ignored

State and offender are key elements

Victims lack information

Restitution rare

Victims’ “truth” secondary

Victims’ suffering ignored

Action from state to offender; offender passive

State monopoly on response to wrong-doing

Offender has no responsibility for resolution

Outcomes encourage offender irresponsibility

Offender denounced

Offender’s ties to community weakened

Offender seen in fragments, offense being central

Sense of balance through retribution

Balance righted by lowering offender

Justice as right rules

Victim-offender relationships ignored

Process alienates

Response based on offender’s past behavior

Repentance and forgiveness discouraged

Proxy professionals are the key actors

Competitive, individualistic values encouraged

Ignores social, economic and moral context of behavior

Assumes win-lose outcomes