Introduction
Every time there is an offender and a victim involved, justice is always anticipated. The Canadian legal systems use a range of techniques to make sure that justice is carried out and that those who commit wrongdoing are punished (Alvi, 2000). But regardless of how the crime was done against the victim, the victim undoubtedly suffers and endures psychological torture in many ways, again depending on the offense committed against the victim or the circumstances under which the victim was placed. Restorative justice is a technique that effectively administers justice while repairing victim pain caused by the crime (Consedine & Gabites, 2013). Additionally, the offender gets to be punished for the wrong done, get to reconcile, and furthermore, get to remorse about the acts that they committed. This essay discusses how restorative justice can be used to solve the various social issues and the impacts of the same.
Social Issues and Crime
In the society, there are variety of crimes. Such may include murder, violence, theft, rape as well as causing harm to the people. The perpetrators, happen to be part and parcel of the society, and interestingly, some of them may happen to be our close friends or family members. Various reasons drive people into committing such crimes (Oudshoorn, 2015). First, the involvement into the acts might be willingly, or as a result of the urge to revenge some of the wrongs done. Additionally, a person might be involved in acts of crime, just for survival in the society.
Victimization and Restorative Justice
As highlighted before, the people in the society can be victims of any crime. One social happening includes rape. In Canada, the rape victims are common among the women, and in most cases, the perpetrators are the men. Rape has significant effects, which are detrimental to the health and the social well-being of the victim. When justice is administered, there are the times when the offenders are jailed, or sentenced to life, while the victim of the same undergoes medical attention and some other times psychological counseling. Restorative justice, in this particular case, includes the process of healing the wound that was created by the offender, to allow the person or the victim of the same fit well in the society again. Restorative justice is a procedure, and not just a onetime thing, that will involve the various parties of interest to the crime (Wemmers, 2002).
Impact on Offenders and Reconciliation
The offender too gets to accept the act of the crime, and get to apologize for the offense. It allows the offender to see the consequences of evil, and hopefully, in the future, such offenders take caution to desist from similar actions (Strickland, 2004). Restorative justice, leaves both the offender and the victims at a different position, from where they were initially. Additionally, it allows the process of reconciliatory and forgiveness to both parties (Power of Forgiveness - Restorative Justice, 2012). The advantage of this is that the offenders will least likely repeat the mistakes, and the victim will be allowed to recover from the harm caused. More so, the offenders get back to the society, and the community can accept such people again because they will be different people from who they were.
Conclusion
In conclusion, crimes are part and parcel of the society, and it has impacts of crime not only on victims, but on the community and the offenders. Restorative justice will ensure that in the long run, the victims of the various crimes get to recover from the harm caused, and additionally, the offenders get to redeem themselves. Moreover, the community gets to accept them back, with the knowledge that they are different people.
References
Alvi, S. (2000). Youth and the Canadian criminal justice system. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Pub. Co.
Consedine, J., & Gabites, J. (2013). Restorative justice: Healing the effects of crime. Auckland, N.Z: Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind.
Oudshoorn, J. (2015). Trauma-informed youth justice in Canada: A new framework for a kinder future.
The Power of Forgiveness – Restorative Justice [Video file]. (2012, December 18). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b65xefiHB1M
Strickland, R. A. (2004). Restorative justice. New York: Peter Lang.
Wemmers, J. (2002). Restorative Justice for Victims of Crime: A Victim-Oriented Approach to Restorative Justice. International Review of Victimology, 9(1), 43-59.
