‘Dark and Devastating’: Kristen Burgess wants restorative justice
By Mardi Link mlink@record-eagle.com Jan 5, 2020
The term “restorative justice” has been used by the court system since at least 2007, when the U.S. Department of Justice funded publication of the 110-page Restorative Justice On-Line Notebook.
“The current system in which crime is considered an act against the State, works on a premise that largely ignores the victim and the community that is hurt most by crime,” the notebook states. “Instead, it focuses on punishing offenders without forcing them to face the impact of their crimes.”
When deployed by the courts, restorative justice tends to mete out shorter prison sentences.
It is a way of thinking about crime and offender rehabilitation that encourages in-person meetings —which can often become verbal confrontations — as well as counseling, incarceration and reparations.