Punishment is not the only remedy for young offenders, since crime is often a cry for help and punishment-focused approaches prevent individuals from understanding the implications of their actions through a victim 's perspective (Choi, Green, and Gilbert 337). Policies and practices for youth should fulfill more than entrapment and punishment, providing a firm rationale for restorative justice (337). Crimes committed by young individuals are often minor, first-time acts which can be mediated and addressed through the proactive administration of restorative rehabilitation, which often prevents recidivism. Restorative justice is a process where all parties involved in a particular offense collectively resolve the aftermath and future implications
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This contrasts restorative methods which reaffirm a shared value-consensus through a bilateral process between the victim and the criminal (Wenzel 375). In western societies, the main method of coping with injustice is through punishment, and once it is imposed, justice is often considered concluded (375), but this process is “simply a short-term, quick-fix solution that in many cases will not have any beneficial effects” (Clark 85). Janine Clark, a senior lecturer on international criminal justice at the University of Birmingham, highlights some of the negative effects of restorative justice, claiming “Prisoners are almost always exposed to rape, violence and the influence of gangs. They run the very real risk of becoming hardened criminals and ‘graduating’ with even more criminal skills” (85). These environments foster self-hate and violence, forces that are extremely difficult to cope with, especially among young, influential individuals, who often leave these institutions as outcasts of society. These confinements are also extremely expensive (84), typically paid for by the government and community tax dollars, having a potentially negative impact on the economy. Restorative justice is a financially positive alternative, preventing less youth from entering these costly
This contrasts restorative methods which reaffirm a shared value-consensus through a bilateral process between the victim and the criminal (Wenzel 375). In western societies, the main method of coping with injustice is through punishment, and once it is imposed, justice is often considered concluded (375), but this process is “simply a short-term, quick-fix solution that in many cases will not have any beneficial effects” (Clark 85). Janine Clark, a senior lecturer on international criminal justice at the University of Birmingham, highlights some of the negative effects of restorative justice, claiming “Prisoners are almost always exposed to rape, violence and the influence of gangs. They run the very real risk of becoming hardened criminals and ‘graduating’ with even more criminal skills” (85). These environments foster self-hate and violence, forces that are extremely difficult to cope with, especially among young, influential individuals, who often leave these institutions as outcasts of society. These confinements are also extremely expensive (84), typically paid for by the government and community tax dollars, having a potentially negative impact on the economy. Restorative justice is a financially positive alternative, preventing less youth from entering these costly