Do you think Victims Voices Heard is an effective program? Why or why not? Explain your answer in terms of the experiences of either Donna or Jamel (not both), and be sure to explain the differences between therapeutic and diversionary restorative justice.
For centuries the formal criminal justice process has silenced victims of crime. However, the rise of the victim rights movement due to victim concerns, has created dramatic increase in awareness, education, and specialized services to promote healing as well as justice. These services play a vital role in offering victims voice to their concerns, while restoring their lives. Victims Voices Heard is an incredibly remarkable and effective …show more content…
Miller states, restorative justice “covers a variety of efforts designed to assist victims in healing, to encourage offender’s accountability…..” (11). Unlike the former retributive justice system that mainly focus on offender and punishments, restorative justice focuses on healing the victim and all individuals affected, while also facilitating offender accountability. The author also discusses and differentiates the two types of restorative justice programs: diversionary and therapeutic.
Diversionary restorative justice programs operate as an alternative to the former criminal justice process. Diversionary restorative justice programs are offender focused programs designed to divert criminals from the system, and provide additional benefits for offenders. While, therapeutic restorative justice programs ultimate goal is to heal, empower and strengthen victims. Unlike the diversionary programs, therapeutic restorative justice programs take place post-conviction. These programs can operate at any time during the criminal justice …show more content…
Not only did Donna empower other survivors through their recovery process, she received the opportunity to talk to young men in youth detention facilities to help them accept accountability, understand the consequences and the repercussions of their crimes. Even though her previous plans for the future were destroyed, she found a new focus in life by helping other individuals. Programs such as VVH can positively impact a crime victim. It can aid individuals in achieving empowerment and strength to overcome their obstacles, and move forward in life. Although VVH focuses more on the victim, and their recovery process, it also helps offenders in improving their lives. Therapeutic restorative justice programs, and programs similar to VVH terminates repeated violence, and restores lives, one victim at a