Principles and values

Objectives and values
As you have read before, restorative justice (RJ) is a way of responding to crime, conflict and injustice. RJ is about addressing the underlying causes of a conflict. The restorative approach is suitable for dealing with many kinds of offenders and offences, including both minor and serious offences. Even though restorative justice can be used in different forms and for different crimes, it is based on some general objectives, principles and values. The main objectives of restorative justice programmes are:

• Supporting victims, giving them a voice and encouraging them to express their needs
• Repairing the relationships damaged by the crime
• Denouncing criminal behaviour as unacceptable and reaffirming community values.
• Connecting the offender and the victim
• Encouraging the participants to take responsibility, especially offenders
• Identifying restorative outcomes and repairing the harm that has been caused by the crime
• Reducing recidivism by encouraging change in offenders and facilitating their reintegration in the community.

In a restorative justice process, the process values are very important. These values are for example:

• A safe environment for all involved parties;
• A focus on harms and reparation
• Active and voluntary participation of both victim and offender
• Respect
• Truth
• Sense of justice
• Respect for human dignity/prevention of secondary victimization

Restorative justice and criminal justice
Restorative justice can be used at different moments, both within and outside the criminal justice system. However, the restorative approach can also be used in conjunction with the traditional criminal process and its sanctions. In some countries, restorative justice is applied in different stages of the criminal procedure.

Accessibility of RJ
The application of restorative justice among Europe is still low (2-12%).