Unlike criminal justice, which focuses on rehabilitative or retributive practices, the emphasis of restorative justice is on repairing the damage done by a crime. An alternative to punishment-based systems commonly seen in the United States, as well as much of the rest of the world, this non-adversarial, inclusive approach aims to create a process which unites those affected by crime. Through practices such as victim-offender mediation, family group conferencing, sentencing circles, and truth and reconciliation commissions, restorative justice focuses on taking responsibility for behavior and accepting consequences in order to help repair harm, heal parties, mend relationships, and build communities. This article explores the impact of restorative
