Types of RJ
You now have an outline of what RJ means. We now want to take you further in the RJ approach by showing different types of RJ. Please read the document below.
The process of restorative justice is flexible and can take many forms. The main types will be discussed briefly.
In victim offender mediation, the victim and offender enter into a conversation with the help of a trained facilitator. The victim and offender can meet directly, face to face, or indirectly for example by sending letters or communicating with each other through the facilitator. The process must be safe for both parties and the offender needs to accept or not deny the responsibility for the crime.
Community and family group conferencing is focussed on bringing the victim, the offender and their families together, and sometimes also the community. The parties will participate in a professionally facilitated process to identify a desirable outcome, address the consequences of the crime, and explore ways to prevent the offending behaviour from happening again. This form of restorative justice is namely used to confront the offender with the consequences of his behaviour and to repair the damage. By involving the network of the offender, conferencing helps ensuring that the offender follows through on the agreed outcomes.
In sentencing circles, the victim, offender, their family and also the judge, police officers and the prosecutor sit together in a circle, facing each other. The circle is used to reach consensus about the best way to resolve the conflict. The needs of the victim, the protection of the community and the punishment and rehabilitation of the offender will be taken into account. Generally this form of restorative justice is only available in case the offender plead guilty and is conducted within the criminal justice procedure.
Peacemaking circles are used to heal damaged relationships and restore harmony to the community. Immediate parties to a conflict are sitting in a circle together with a trained peacemaker. The causes of the conflict are discussed and parties try to resolve the conflict and foster healing and help the participants to avoid future problems.
Reparative probation means that the offender and the court enter into a contract. The court suspends the sentence if the offender complies with certain restorative conditions. The offender makes direct amends to the community and to their victims for their harmful acts, they are less likely to re-offend.