The Relationship Between Community Justice and Restorative Justice
Community justice and restorative justice often are used as synonymous terms. While the terms are complementary, they are not interchangeable. Community justice is a strategic method to control and reduce crime and therefore impacts the system in which we work. Restorative justice is a process of responding to criminal acts and impacts how we do our work. In other words, community justice seeks to transform the justice system to one that is inclusive and works in partnership with the community in order to impact the community environment. Restorative justice practices promote healing, reparation and reconciliation of all parties harmed by criminal acts. The desired results are peaceful, harmonious and just relationships among individual victims, offenders and their communities. Positive human relationships contribute to a positive community environment. Restorative justice is therefore crucial to the success of a community justice strategy.
Community Justice Strategy
A comprehensive community justice strategy:
includes restorative justice practices and processes;
includes both adult and juvenile offenders;
focuses on creating safer communities rather than on doing things to or for offenders;
pursues the goal of public safety within a scope of preventing victimization;
places a high priority on the rights and needs of victims and the community;
seeks harmonious working relations among all justice components and practices, citizens, community and social service organizations, educational systems, and faith communities;
focuses on problems causing as well as caused by crime; and
promotes correctional programming that is based on sound research and measurable for effectiveness.