Restorative Justice Processes
Restorative justice takes many different forms, but all systems have some aspects in common. In criminal cases, victims have an opportunity to express the full impact of the crime upon their lives, to receive answers to any lingering questions about the incident, and to participate in holding the offender accountable for his or her actions. Offenders can tell their story of why the crime occurred and how it has affected their lives. This process is done with the helpf of one or two trained facilitators.
Each process aims to enable the participant to explore, in a safe and structured way:
- Facts - what happened and why
- Consequences - how people were affected
- Future - what needs to happen in order to repair or address the harm caused and prevent it from happening again.
There are a variety of restorative justice processes available which are detailed on the Restorative Justice Scotland website. Each process is designed to take account of the specific needs, wishes and circumstances of participants.