Guiding Questions

• What is the purpose of justice: punishment or healing?

• Can people who cause harm take real responsibility?

• What does justice look like without prisons?

The Traditional Model: Crime and Punishment

In most legal systems, justice follows a simple formula:

A crime is committed → The state prosecutes → The offender is punished.

But this model:

• Focuses on rules, not relationships

• Often ignores the needs of the victim

• Separates the offender from the community

• Emphasizes punishment over understanding or change

Many people — especially victims — are left feeling unheard, unsafe, or unhealed.

What Is Restorative Justice?

Restorative justice is a different approach.

Instead of asking, “What law was broken?”

It asks:

• Who was harmed?

• What are their needs?

• Who is responsible for repairing the harm?

This process often brings together:

• The person who caused harm

• The person harmed

• The community

• A trained facilitator

They talk — and listen — with the goal of truth, responsibility, and repair.

Philosophical Perspectives

Desmond Tutu

Led restorative justice work after apartheid in South Africa. Believed justice must be about healing, not revenge.

Howard Zehr

A pioneer of modern restorative justice. Asked: “Can we imagine a justice that restores relationships, rather than destroys lives?”

Confucius

Focused on moral repair, social harmony, and the importance of taking responsibility — not just punishment.

Does It Work?

Restorative justice has been used for:

• School conflicts

• Youth crimes

• Domestic violence (with caution and support)

• Post-conflict reconciliation (e.g. Rwanda, South Africa)

• Prison alternatives in New Zealand, Norway, and some U.S. cities

Research shows:

• Lower recidivism (repeat offenses)

• Higher satisfaction among victims

• Stronger community relationships

But it is not a quick fix.

It takes time, honesty, and support — and not all cases are appropriate.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine someone vandalizes your home.

They are caught.

Which would feel more like justice?

• They go to jail — and you never hear from them again.

• They meet with you, hear how it affected you, take responsibility, and agree to repair the damage.

Which outcome promotes safety, accountability, and healing?

Practices of Restorative Justice

• Circle processes – everyone sits in a circle to speak and listen

• Victim-offender dialogue – with consent and preparation

• Community accountability groups – long-term support and repair

• Restorative schools – resolving conflict without suspension

• Truth and reconciliation commissions – used after war or genocide

Reflect and Discuss

• Have you ever experienced or witnessed healing after harm?

• Can justice exist without punishment?

• What would a society built on restoration — not revenge — look like?

Suggested Readings

• Howard Zehr – Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice

• Desmond Tutu – No Future Without Forgiveness

• Fania Davis – The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice

• Danielle Sered – Until We Reckon

• UN Handbook on Restorative Justice Programs