The Retributive Justice System

Each of the stakeholders have a role to play within the restorative process in order for the healing to begin. For the victim, being victimized takes away a sense of control. In order to recover, the victim must regain that sense of social control, often through the emotional power given through a facilitated discussion with the offender (Morrison, 2016). Offenders on the other hand, must repair the lost trust with both the community, and the victim. In order to do so, they must take responsibility for their wrong doings, and do whatever in their power to repair the harm caused. Finally, the community is responsible in facilitating the discussion or process to heal both the offender and the victim. The community must grant support, safety, …show more content…
This is all controlled by the government or another higher power, and uses a set group of rules in order to discipline offenders (Morrison, 2016). The Canadian justice system finds its basis in the idea of the deterrence theory, or the rational choice theory. The principles of the retributive justice system is based heavily on the rational choice theory. The rational choice theory (Clarke & Cornish, 2001) is based on the belief that human beings freely choose their actions based on a pursuit of merit and an avoidance of negative effects towards themselves. According to the rational choice theory, humans follow the law by logically realizing the punishment of committing a crime ruins any satisfaction gained from said crime. By this logic, state-based justice systems believe that punishment is the answer to any crimes …show more content…
If the current system were to adapt more aspects from restorative justice, more crimes would be prevented, as well as benefiting the mental and psychological health of not just the victims, but the offenders as well. Restorative justice provide an innovative process through which to grant both mercy and justice for those involved. The importance of the dignity of all those involved in an offense is of the utmost priority during a restorative process, to which builds a more secure, safe society. By encouraging conversation between all parties, restorative justice seeks to build rapport and relationships within society, while encouraging the offender to take responsibilities for their own actions in a thoughtful manner, learn the effects of their mistakes on others and the community, and change the offending behaviour in order to become a fully accepted member once again. For the victim, being able to have a safe dialogue with the individual(s) who has victimized them allows them to recover from the process of being victimized. This also allow them to understand the motives of the offender, and receive closure in the forms of an apology, monetary payment, or some other form of reparation. Finally, the restorative process allows for communities to reduce overall amount of reoccurring crimes, while also understanding the