Restorative justice seeks to involve victims, offenders, and community members in a collaborative approach to resolving crime. It provides an opportunity for offenders to take responsibility for their
actions and to understand the effects of their behaviour. Often associated with youth crime and lower severity crimes, restorative justice seeks to create dialogue and engagement towards
understanding and resolving offences through a safe and equitable access to justice, while operating outside the traditional criminal justice approach of charges and criminal courts. There is
a potential to use restorative justice as a primary intervention method before the involvement of the formal criminal justice system. By addressing the needs of victims and offenders, restorative
justice has the potential to increase access to justice by shortening timelines for resolution and addressing the needs of all participants. In this manner, restorative justice can move beyond less
severe crimes to those involving power imbalances, such as intimate partner violence and sexual crimes.
Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research
