The Restorative Justice Process
Restorative Justice (RJ) recognizes that a crime causes harm to individuals and communities, and then asks how that harm can be addressed in a meaningful way. The RJ process brings together people connected to an offence – those who have been affected, those responsible for what happened, and those who can support a good outcome. The process considers the contexts, causes and circumstances of a crime in order to address the harm caused, identify needs and move forward in a better way.
When a Restorative Justice Regional Team accepts a referral, team members will contact all of the parties involved to understand the issues, needs and impacts related to the incident.
They will then design the process, including the number, form and nature of sessions that might be held. The goal is to engage the parties in appropriate ways to come to understand and determine:
- what happened
- what matters about what happened (including harms and impacts)
- what needs to happen to address the harms and impacts in a way that will ensure a just outcome and just relations in future
Generally, a restorative process will involve one or more sessions that bring together those who are connected to the case.
These people can include, as appropriate:
- those who have been harmed or otherwise affected
- those who hold responsibilities for those harms
- those who can offer information or support the process
The plans, actions and outcomes of a restorative process vary depending on the situation, circumstances, issues and need involved in each case. The agreements and expectation that are part of the plan are recorded and shared with parties and as required with the justice stakeholders. The Restorative Justice Regional Team provides follow-up support and supervision as required, to ensure plans are successfully completed.