Restorative Justice Essay

We know our prisons have failed to bring down the crime rate. Thus, other issues need to be addressed? What is it that leads to crime? Why is crime on the increase? Is our age old method of attending to crime and offenders as church still effective or do we need new strategies? We know our prisons are dungeon and are overpopulated with poor and disadvantaged persons. Imprisonment is supposed to offer correction and rehabilitation, but we know it does not correct. It only makes things worse. Prison is both a dumping ground for the destitute and a crash course in crime for delinquents. The rights of prisoners are not respected. We know that in many dioceses our prison apostolates are either none existent, poorly organised, with little or no trained personnel and
Restorative justice is a process in which all those affected by an incident of wrongdoing come together to share their feelings and resolve together how to deal with its aftermath.
It is a way of responding to a person who has been harmed, a person who has caused harm, and a community affected by harm. Together the stakeholders determine through dialogue how to repair the harm to the extent possible.
Restorative Justice is addressing the hurts and needs of the victim and the hurts and needs of the offender in such a way that the community might be healed. Restorative Justice seeks to heal and put right the wrongs. It is reconciliatory Justice or justice that seeks reconciliation.
The Objective of Restorative justice is to bring about reconciliation that restores as seen in the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15 :
Each stakeholder is called to take on their shared responsibility in the crime and move towards reconciliation and restoration of peace. RJ acknowledges the ongoing pain and need for healing of victims and offenders and seeks to recreate communities with former offenders in responsible, safe, healthy and life-giving