Criminal Justice

Is there a difference in your mind between restorative and transformative justice? Explain your answer by describing what each is and offer examples from your readings that explain your position. Remember you must have an introduction, body and a conclusion. Links are below:

https://www.sociologylens.net/topics/crime-and-deviance/restorative-justice-and-transformative-justice-definitions-and-debates/11521

http://www.njjn.org/our-work/making-restorative-justice-transformative

ANSWER

Transformative and Restorative Justice

Introduction

The greatest challenge for criminal justice policy is to ensure less reoffending and increased public confidence. Restoration of an offender takes different forms which include a sense of security, restoration of dignity, social support, and empowerment. Restorative and transformative justice has offered a welcoming alternative as compared to the traditional sentencing approaches. These approaches have been considered more effective in delivering less reoffending practices with greater satisfaction for the victims and the community. However, restorative and transformative justice differ in terms of approaches.

Restorative justice is considered as the process where all the stakeholders that have been influenced by injustice have the chance to discuss how they have been influenced and decide what they should do to repair the harm (Johnstone, 2013). Restorative justice shifts the framework towards addressing the needs as well as ensuring that the person is accountable for the harm caused. This approach respects the humanity of the individual and offers them the chance to be responsible for their actions while restoring the victim (Shapland, Robinson and Sorsby, 2011). Moreover, restorative justice goes beyond attempting to restore the community and victim to their pre-crime situations where it is a further concern with assigning the offender active responsibility.

Transformative justice is a bit bolder restoration technique as compared to restorative Justice. This is because rather than simply seeking to restore the offenders, it sets out to transform them better. Concerning transformative justice, the conditions that allow violence to take place have to be transformed to achieve justice (Gready and Robins, 2014). Transformative justice focuses on changing the larger social structure. Transformative justice is more productive since it offers the offenders answers as to why they have been victimized, establishing restitution and restoration. Transformative justice supports perpetuated cycle of violence through long term healing and immediate safety.

Conclusion

In conclusion, transformative justice and restorative justice differ in their approach to restoration, Transformative justice seeks accountability and safety without relying on punishment and alienation. On other restorative justice focuses on the idea of the revitalization of the offenders and victims where they come together to talk about what transpired in an effort of achieving restoration. Transformative justice and restorative justice seek to redress the unjustness of the criminal justice system.

References

Gready, P., & Robins, S. (2014). From transitional to transformative justice: A new agenda for practice. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 8(3), 339-361.

Johnstone, G. (2013). Restorative justice: ideas, values, debates. Routledge.

Shapland, J., Robinson, G., & Sorsby, A. (2011). Restorative justice in practice: evaluating what works for victims and offenders. Taylor & Francis.