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• 1 2020-11-09T21:18:09+00:00 Community Awareness and Engagment 28 Chapter 4 plain 2020-12-03T22:20:13+00:00

  The Community's Role in Restorative Justice

  
  ​​​​​​Within the structure of the criminal justice system, crime is largely characterized by the person who has been harmed and the person responsible for inflicting the harm. Although both of these individuals are an essential component to any justice system, restricting the response to crime to such limited roles inhibits the outcome of most criminal justice cases. Without understanding the full ripple effect of crime and without considering every possible individual or group of individuals involved, an adequate solution that addresses all harm done cannot be made. As discussed in the introduction, restorative justice broadens the circle of stakeholders involved in repairing the harm done by crime in order to allow more valuable and important voices to be heard throughout the justice process.

  "Communities need justice to provide opportunities and encouragement to take on their obligations for the welfare of their members, including those who have been harmed and those who caused harm, and to foster the conditions that promote healthy communities," (Zehr 26).

  
  In his book, The Little Book of Restorative Justice: A Bestselling Book by One of the Founders of the Movement, Howard Zehr describes how the community plays a vital role in supporting and empowering survivors of crime while also providing them with a reassuring sense of safety and information. The community is essential in the rehabilitation process for both those responsible for and harmed by crime. The community should be able to hold persons accountable for crime and for the damage, harm, and disconnect that it has created within the community. Community members should encourage those who commit crimes to own up to their actions and reassure that there is no shame in holding oneself accountable. In order to prevent further crime, communities can reflect on and determine any larger aspects of their environment or policies that may have prompted or been partially responsible for the crime that occurred.

  "...the problem of crime -- and wrongdoing in general -- is that it represents a wound in the community, a tear in the web of relationships. Crime represents damaged relationships. In fact, damaged relationships are both a cause and an effect of crime," (Zehr 29).

  
  The video below illustrates how heavily community members can be impacted by crime and how restorative justice offers a strong and dependable solution that prioritizes repairing the harm done to all stakeholders involved. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  References:

  Zehr, Howard. The Little Book of Restorative Justice: A Bestselling Book by One of the Founders of the Movement. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2014.