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What Is Restorative Justice?

Understanding the difference between punitive justice and restorative justice.
Judge and counselors
Judge and counselors

The phrase “restorative justice” has become something of a buzzword. Often, it refers to discipline programs in schools. Across the country, school systems have adopted the principles of restorative justice, replacing traditional punishments like detention and suspension. Restorative justice school programs focus on allowing students to take accountability for harmful actions and learn from their experience, rather than just punishing them and expecting them to change. 

What Is Restorative Justice? 

Restorative justice is an idea that emerged from the criminal justice system in the 1970s. Criminologists began to evaluate the efficacy of the criminal justice system, which is predicated on notions of punitive justice, and felt that it was failing both convicted criminals and the victims of their crimes.1 

Punitive Justice vs. Restorative Justice

Punitive justice is the idea of punishing criminals for their crimes against society or the legal system itself. This is the traditional method of handling crime in the United States, with wrongdoers being tried within the legal system for a law that has been broken, then sentenced to a punishment in line with the severity of the crime.

Restorative justice seeks to bring victims of crimes into the justice process. Criminals are asked to take accountability for their wrongdoing by facing those they have wronged, speaking with them directly and even answering questions. The theory is that criminals owe more than a debt to society—they owe a debt to specific people, and asking criminals to speak to those they wronged will help with their rehabilitation in ways that punitive justice cannot.

Where systems of punitive justice are often accused of dehumanizing both criminals and victims, restorative justice seeks to do the opposite: to teach empathy in the hopes that understanding the human toll of a crime will help a criminal change their behavior.

Theories of criminal psychology are studied and explored in the online BS in Criminal Justice and MS in Criminal Justice programs at Walden University. Both programs are designed for professionals who want to make a difference in their communities working within the criminal justice system, whether in law enforcement, the court system, or victim services. Walden is a leader in online education for working adults. See how a degree in criminal justice can help you take your skills to the next level. 

Walden University is an accredited institution offering BS in Criminal Justice and MS in Criminal Justice degree programs online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

1 Source: https://zehr-institute.org/what-is-rj/

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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