Restorative Justice

Retributive Justice asks:

What law was broken? 
Who broke it? 
What punishment is warranted?

Restorative Justice asks:

What happened?
Who was impacted and how?
How can the harm be repaired?
How can the harm be prevented from happening again?

Restorative Justice is used worldwide for all levels of harm or crimes and is a voluntary process. It is an approach to handling harm and crime that is victim-centered. The process allows the victim to ask questions and fully express the impacts of the event and allows the offender to take responsibility for his or her actions and reintegrate into the community. This approach supports healing and well-being for the victim, offender, their families, and communities. 

Victims of crime may request a restorative justice conference and the resulting agreement is sent to the court for approval.  

Victims report a high level of satisfaction and a greater feeling of safety and closure after a restorative justice conference. They gain the ability to move on with their lives. Offenders are less likely to reoffend and through this process experience atonement and a sense of belonging in their community, making our neighborhoods safer.

Kelly is a founding member and former Executive Director of the Florida Restorative Justice Association. She is trained in four different methods of Restorative Justice. She believes in the transformative power of people deeply listening and finding ways to move through the harm towards healing. Restorative Justice is different from Mediation and Kelly recommends Restorative Justice when someone has been harmed.

"Crime is a violation of people and relationships. It creates obligations to make things right. Justice involves the victim, the offender and the community in search for solutions which promote repair, reconciliation and reassurance."

- Howard Zehr, The Little Book of Restorative Justice