Restorative Justice

Which of the following is true about a victim-offender mediation?

- It allows victims to come face-to-face with those who harmed them. - It provides a sense of closure for victims. - It requires a lot of pre-planning.

Which of the following is not true about restorative justice?

- It is a very old concept dating back to the 1700s. - It demands that victims be held accountable for their actions. - It only needs the victim's involvement.

Which of the following is not true about a victim-offender mediation?

- It is only done in prerecorded messages. - It is a requirement in all cases.

Which of the following is true about restorative justice?

- Works on restoring the victim - Is a victim-centered approach

____ play an integral role in public safety and victimology.

Communities

Victims of crime are often left asking themselves one question ____

Why

Restorative justice is a theory of justice that focuses on the ____ imposed to victims.

harm caused

The get-tough-on-crime movement led to ____

prison overcrowding

When a person is injured, a larger way to look at the harm is to look at ____

society

Victim Restoration

Identifies victims in need of justice and does not rely on the antiquated practice of warehousing offenders who might become a greater threat to public safety upon release. - In this approach, a criminal offender needs to be held accountable and confronted with the human suffering and loss of his or her victim. This victim-centered approach helps provide a sense of closure for the victim.

Victim and Offender Dialogue

In an effort to give the offender a voice in the system and an attempt at closure, there is victim-offender mediation (VOM), which is also referred to as victim-offender dialogue. - When a person is a victim of crime, he or she is left with a lot of questions, and one of the biggest is, "Why me?" - Victim-offender mediation allows the victim and offender to come face-to-face and engage in a dialogue. This is usually the first and only time (post-offense) in which the victim has the opportunity to face his or her accuser. - The victim may not get all of his or her questions answered, but he or she can ask them. - It is important to note that prior to the victim and offender meeting face-to-face, there is a lot of training and pre-planning that occurs with the victim and offender before they enter the same room.

Which of the following statements is true?

In recent years, people have seen a bigger focus on what works.

Victim-Centered Practices in Corrections

In recent years, the corrections system has started to shift its focus. Now, there is more focus on victims of crime. - For an example, in 1995, the state of Pennsylvania passed Act 33, which made restorative justice the focus of its juvenile justice system. "Recognizing the growing body of empirical research on 'what works' to treat juvenile offenders and reduce harm to communities and victims," Pennsylvania launched the Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy initiative in 2011 to enhance the capacity of its juvenile justice system to achieve its balanced and restorative justice mission (JCJC, 2019)

Which of the following statements is true about victims and the court process?

Many times, victims are forgotten as part of the court system.

Civil Redress of Grievances

Nowadays, victims of crime have options. They have more of a voice in the criminal justice system and are entitled to restitution. If a victim of crime wants to see compensation for pain and suffering, he or she needs to file a civil lawsuit against the suspect. In most cases, this lawsuit occurs after the criminal case is resolved, as a guilty plea or verdict can be entered into evidence during a civil trial. Pain and suffering and emotional distress verdicts can amount to a lot of money for the crime victim.

Public Accountability

Provides programs (e.g., diversion programs and community-based treatment) that may not be available to the public otherwise. - In contrast to the theory and practice of restorative justice is the reality that many victims are denied their day in court by legal wrangling resulting in a reduced sentence for a guilty plea. Some victims fear the court system and being re-victimized. - Moreover, others display symptoms of Stockholm syndrome and would like for the offender to be accountable in some way, but not necessarily to be convicted of an offense or be imprisoned.

Which of the following is true about defendants and the criminal justice system?

The criminal justice system focuses on the constitutional safeguards for the accused.