Restorative Justice In Australia

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Restorative justice is an alternative approach to imprisonment for eligible first-time offenders and it is becoming increasingly common in the Australian criminal justice system. Restorative justice attends to the needs of the victims, and or the community as a whole, where an appropriate restoration is mutually agreed. While restorative justice endeavours to deal with the offender’s crime without the need for imprisonment, not all offences are eligible for restorative justice. According to the Australian Government, firearm offences and those involving serious violence, serious sexual assaults, and serious drug offences must be excluded and mandate imprisonment (Joudo-Larsen, 2014, p. 8). Although there is much debate on the effectiveness …show more content…

The ACT Government (2016) states restorative justice offers victims' support, and opportunities to communicate their emotions about the harm caused by the offence and an opportunity to make a decision for an appropriate form of restoration. Restorative justice empowers victims because it allows them to be part of the process where they can ask questions and express the direct impact of the crime. Victims suffer physically, mentally, and financially because of the harm caused by the offence (Garkawe, 1999, p. 41). Additionally, restorative justice allows victims to request specific compensation that will allow them to move forward after the crime. In the criminal justice system victims often feel dissatisfied and excluded because they are not able to participate in official proceedings, except as a witness (Wemmers & Cyr, 2006, p. 1). Restorative justice has continually proven its efficacy with victim satisfaction. Evaluations conducted on restorative justice practices for first-time nonviolent juvenile offences, concluded that 90 percent of victims express a great level satisfaction, while 98 percent would recommend restorative justice as an alternative (Kuo, Longmire & Cuvelier, 2010, p. 319). This shows why restorative justice is a suitable alternative for eligible first-time

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