What are the pros and cons of restorative justice?

Answer 1

pros:

+ considered 'fair'

+ the offender may experience how it feels to be the victim perhaps preventing similar behavior again

cons:

- how does one measure/objectify the crime or a relevant punishment and who is to judge what punishment is appropriate e.g. if a judge who is notoriously hard on thiefs is asked to deliver a ruling, it'll probably be a harder punishment than that delivered by a judge who is more sympathetic to the people being tried.

- supporters of rehabilitation would argue that socio/economic conditions cause crime not people so the punishment does not help the problem and crime will continue. It is better to get to the root of the problem than castigating someone who was forced to offend due to their situation e.g. fining a poorer man for stealing money to feed his family would make him poorer probably driving him to continue stealing instead of fighting the real problem in this example, the lack of support for people in need, which would reduce the amount of stealing that occurs because said man would not be forced to steal.

Answer 2

Pros of restorative justice include giving victims a voice, holding offenders accountable in a more meaningful way, and potentially reducing recidivism rates. However, cons may include re-traumatizing victims, lack of consistency in sentencing, and potential challenges in ensuring offenders fully engage in the process.