Restorative Justice Notes

Announcements

  • Multiple Choice Quiz Reminder
  • Course Experience Survey: Please fill out the survey to help improve teaching quality.
  • Assessment 2:
    • In-class next week
    • Check announcements and Canvas for details.
    • Students with Reasonable Adjustment Plans: Check email from Ray for arrangements.
    • Monday 11am and Tuesday 1pm classes: Different rooms (students notified by email).

Restorative Justice in NSW

  • Youth Justice Conferences have been a feature of the Youth Justice system in NSW and Australia.
  • Australia was a pioneer in the widespread use of restorative justice with Youth Justice Conferences.

Restorative vs/& Retributive Justice

  • Debate exists around whether restorative justice is distinct or a tool within the justice system.
  • For CRIM1010: Understand the principles of restorative justice and how they differ from typical responses to crime.
  • Restorative justice literature distinguishes between restorative and retributive justice.
  • Retributive justice: Typical criminal justice system response through courts, with sentencing and punishment.

Comparison of Retributive and Restorative Justice

  • The following contrasts the characteristics, goals, processes, emphasis and examples of each approach to justice.
  • Retributive Justice:
    • Focus: Punishment, Retribution, Deterrence; Focused on the past
    • Goal: Order maintenance
    • Process: Prosecution directed, Prosecution/trial, Sentencing, Encourages denial, Imprisonment, Adversarial
    • Emphasis: Due process, Rights of the accused, Rule enforcement
    • Examples: Prison
  • Restorative Justice:
    • Focus: Healing; Focused on the future
    • Goal: Offender accountability, Offender responsibility
    • Process: Victim-offender centred, Circle processes, Requires taking responsibility, Collaborative
    • Emphasis: Rebuilding communities, Victim needs, Offenders making amends
    • Examples: Victim-offender conferencing, Youth justice conferences

Restorative Justice in Practice and Relation to Criminological Theories

  • Potential strengths of using restorative justice when responding to harms (crimes):
  • How restorative justice could address theoretical causes of crime:
    • Labelling theory
    • Conflict theory
    • Social learning theories

Preparation for Assessment 2

  • Format: Same as Assessment 1.
  • Content: Ten multiple-choice questions and two short essay questions.
    • Multiple-choice topics: Weeks 7-12 (same as second multiple-choice quiz).
    • Short essay topics:
      • Labelling Theory (Week 8 Tutorial)
      • Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (Week 11 Tutorial)
      • Critical Criminology and Police Searches (Week 9 Tutorial)
      • Restorative Justice (Week 12 Tutorial)
  • The topics for the short essay questions are:
    • Two short essay questions will be on any of the four topics above.
    • Answer both questions.