Restorative Justice as the Best Model for Alternative Sanctions

This article discusses how restorative justice can be considered as the model that serves the best alternative sanctions. It explains the humanistic approach towards punitive sanctions, restorative justice as an addition or radical alternative to the formal criminal justice, and how restorative justice practice provides benefits to the victims. The article concludes by emphasizing the significant role of restorative justice in serving alternative sanctions.

Restorative Justice may be the model that best serves alternative sanctions

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Main Body..................................................................................................................................2
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4
1

Thesis statement: Restorative justice can be considered as the model that serves the best
alternative sanctions
Introduction
Restorative justice is the approach that gives appropriate respond to the crimes by repairing
the damages caused by the criminal activities and also focuses on victim needs, offender
accountability and makes appropriate changes at macro and micro levels. Restorative justice
is the best model for serving alternative sanctions by providing benefit to the victims (Siegel,
Hoffman & Brown, 2017).
Main Body
The humanistic approach should be sold to the general public that supports punitive
sanctions
The punishment is provided to the criminals for carrying out criminal acts. The humanistic
approach states that although an offender commits a crime he or she will not be concluded as
a human being. It can be seen that he or she has committed a crime under circumstances
which was not supposed to come. However, an effort should be made to transform and
support the offenderfor improving his or her mind. The objective of the punishment is to
bring out the moral and ethics within the convict (Cullen, Fisher & Applegate, 2000).A
criminal must be educated with good art during his imprisonment so that he or she can be
able to start a new life after he is released from jail. It should be noted that while sentencing
him to imprisonment, the judge should study the character and age of the convict such as
birthplace, education, family background, and circumstances under which he or she was
forced to do this crime and with what objective the crime was committed. The judge is able to
the exact nature of the circumstances and punishmentcan be given as per the circumstances.
2

Restorative justice is an addition or radical alternative to the formal criminal justice
Restorative justice is considered to be a new and most effective approach for social workers.
Restorative justice is seen that it does not view crime as an affiance against the anti-social or
state act as a threat for safety of public, it also doesn’t put attention on the educational
expression, but highlights crimes in the eyes of the police. The criminal act carried out by an
individual imposes a significant impact on others which also needed to be taken into account
(Neser, 2001). The needs of the victim were need to be understood and it was new for both
the social services and parliamentary system. The criminal courts till now consider the victim
of a crime as the obstacle to establish the truth while social service considers the victim of a
crime as the obstacle in recovering the convict.
Restorative justice practice provide benefit to the victims
The challenges of restorative justice provide a list of benefits to the convict and victims of
crime. It seems that the best and easy way to understand the implementation of the approach
is to analyze the results within a fixed time period. There is a number of the index which
measures the success of restorative measures and interruption such as the convict pardon to
victim, the victim gets adequate rewards and emotional healing. Thus,a relationship is
established with peace and balance (Rideout, Karen, Salinitri& Marc, 2010). However, the
process does not mean denial and evasion of criminal duty because the agreement between
parties should include correct obligations on the convict and consider alternative punishment,
not alternatives to punishment. The goals propose a different position for the convict and the
victim in the context of restorative justice as compared to court proceedings. They are
participants and collaborator to deal with the crime, their decision makers and judges resolve
issues that arises from criminal activity in the interest of both the sides. Hence, restorative
3

justice supports them to take their own responsibility and how to protect themselves in near
futures.
Conclusion
Restorative justice plays a significant role in serving the alternative sanctions. It brings
together victims, offenders and other people who were affected by the criminal acts in order
to achieve a response to the criminal harm.
4

References
Cullen, F., Fisher, B., & Applegate, B. (2000).Public Opinion about Punishment and
Corrections. Crime And Justice, 27, 1-79. doi: 10.1086/652198
Neser, J. (2001). Restorative justice as reaction to crime : development and
conceptualisation. Crime Research In South Africa, 2(1), 1-9.
Rideout, G., Karen, R., Salinitri, G., & Marc, F. (2010).Measuring the Effect of Restorative
Justice Practices: Outcomes and Contexts. EAF, 21(2), 35-59.
Siegel, L., Hoffman, R., & Brown, G. (2017). Introduction to criminology (3rd ed.). Toronto:
Nelson Education.
5

Public Opinion about Punishment and Corrections
6

7

8

Restorative justice as reaction to crime: development and conceptualisation
9

10

11

12

Measuring the Effect of Restorative Justice Practices: Outcomes and Contexts
13

14

15

16

17