Director Martha McLafferty describes what restorative justice means and what the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center does.
River Valley Chronicle with Martha McLafferty presented by High Horses
Restorative Justice is a victim-centered, community-based approach forresponding to crime. It focuses on the harm that was caused and what needs tohappen to make things better. The goal is to build understanding, encourageaccountability, and provide an opportunity for healing.
In restorative justice, the main questions are:
- Who was harmed?
- What are their needs?
- Whose obligations are these?
Three Pillars of Restorative Justice
* The following diagram and excerpts are pulled and/or adapted from Howard
Zehr’s The Little Book of Restorative Justice *
Pillar One: Harms and Needs
Restorative Justice understands crime as harm done to people andcommunities. For restorative justice, then, justice begins with a concern forvictims and their needs. It seeks to repair the harm as much as possible.
While our first concern must be the harm experienced by victims, the focuson harm implies that we also need to be concerned about harmexperienced by the community and the responsible party.
Pillar Two: Obligations
Restorative Justice holds that harm results in obligations. Those who havecaused harm have an obligation to comprehend the consequences of theirbehavior and repair the harm caused. The community has an obligation torespond to harm being done within the community.
Pillar Three: Engagement
Restorative Justice promotes participation. Restorative Justice understandsthat crime always has “stakeholders” or primary parties affected by crime:the victim, the community, and the responsible party. These stakeholdersshould be involved in deciding what justice requires. Volunteers act as thevoice of the community.
Criminal vs. Restorative Justice
Restorative justice is very different from the traditional criminal justice perspective. Why is thisimportant? Because no crime exists in a vacuum. There are always peopleaffected, even if there is no identifiable victim. It is important to note, that whilethe philosophies differ, the Restorative Justice Panel process is still a function ofand embedded in the traditional criminal justice system.
Consider the comparisons between criminal justice and restorative justice:
| Criminal Justice | Restorative Justice |
|---|---|
| Principles | |
| – Crime is a violation of the law and the state – Violations create guilt – Justice requires the state to determine blame (guilt) and impose pain (punishment) | – Crime is a violation of people and relationships – Violations create obligations – Justice involved victims, offenders, and community members in an effort to make things as right as possible |
| Central Focus | |
| – Offenders “getting what they deserve” – Punishment | – Victim needs – Accountability |
| Questions | |
| – What laws have been broken? – Who did it? – What do they deserve? | – Who has been hurt? – What are their needs? – Whose obligations are these? |
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