Restorative Justice In The Criminal Justice System

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Background When looking at the Criminal Justice system there are so many different elements make up the system to create a whole, it is sometimes hard to grasp every element. Throughout history people and governments alike have tried to figure out cost saving yet efficient strategies to keep offenders from reoffending and out of jail. Restorative justice is one of these elements; created to focus on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. Within the realm of restorative justice there are many different types of procedures and programs from alternate dispute resolution to veteran trauma courts and everything in-between. Not everyone will agree that these specialty courts and procedures …show more content…

Mediation is typically ordered in types of cases that there is significant emotional ties; creating a potential for hostility, loss of relationships or personal feelings getting in the way of reaching an agreement. Arbitration is the best option for cases where the parties simply cannot come to an agreement and decide to have someone else decide the outcome of the case for them, without the expense and formality of a trial. Arbitration is also useful in highly complex cases where it is necessary to have a highly trained professional come to the …show more content…

Like any other program introduced to deter crime, lower tax payer costs and reduce recidivism rates, there are mixed results. Technically, restorative justice is still in the experimental phase; whether it is going to stick around and become a norm is still unclear however, if for the time being it can help reduce costs and recidivism it’s worth the effort. Problem-Solving Courts Problem-solving courts are offense specific courts that specialize in their area; often times many different agencies get involved with the offenders to support them throughout the process. These courts began in the 1990s to better rehabilitate offenders with specific needs that could not be efficiently supported within the regular judicial system. Problem-Solving court’s main focus is to find an outcome that will best suit the needs of the offender, victim and community. Even though problem solving courts are still relatively new, they seem to have a beneficial outcome for everyone involved. There are approximately 1,272 problem-solving courts within the United States; from drug courts to veteran’s court, more judicial systems are implementing these courts within their own boundaries.

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