CRIMINAL AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Most criminal justice systems around the world are retributive. These retributive justice systems profess to hold the offender accountable to the state and use punishment as the equalizing tool for accountability. In contrast, restorative justice seeks to hold the offender accountable to the victimized person, and to the disrupted community. Through God's transforming power, restorative justice seeks to repair the damage, right the wrong, and bring healing to all involved, including the victim, the offender, the families, and the community. The Church is transformed when it responds to the claims of discipleship by becoming an agent of healing and systemic change. Restorative justice grows out of biblical authority, which emphasizes a right relationship with God, self, and community. When such relationships are violated or broken through crime, opportunities are created to make things right.

Juvenile Justice

The Social Principles of Church has to call for special attention to the rights of children and youth. From these perspectives we should be concerned that in many states, children are arrested and incarcerated for truancy, incorrigibility, stubborn altercations with parents, and other conduct which would not be criminal if performed by an adult. Such status offenses should not be considered as grounds for involving a juvenile in processes of criminal or delinquency procedures. Rather, a child in trouble should be helped by caring communities, such as churches, mentoring programs, and boys/girls clubs. Criminal justice, including juvenile justice, in our world rarely focuses on the biblical initiatives of restoration, mercy, wholeness, and shalom. Out of a desire to punish rather than restore, governments around the world have made retribution the heart of their criminal justice systems, believing that this will deter crime and violence. The statistics indicate the colossal failure of retributive justice. Therefore, we call on the church to embrace the biblical concept of restorative justice as a hopeful alternative to our present criminal justice codes. Restorative justice focuses on the victim, the offender, and the community in the desire to bring healing and wholeness to all.

The following are some ideas/activities as to what can be done in the communities to raise the awareness level of citizens regarding Restorative Justice.

1. Cross cultural and Inter/Faith prayer vigil held in the public places
2. Visits to the local youth and adult detention facilities, jails and/or prisons.
3. Invite speakers to speak in High Schools, Colleges, Civic Clubs, and Churches on restorative justice topics. Make sure that these are people that know what they are talking about.
4. Have an information and discussion evening where you have speakers representing different segments of the criminal justice mission field or visit a Community or agency Mediation Agency and explore their work.
5. Daily prayer vigil's on the grounds of the State legislature.
6. An evening discussion with families of the incarcerated (both youth and adults), facilitated by someone who understands restorative justice principles.
7. Distributing Restorative Justice Brochures in churches, schools, government offices and businesses.
8. Asking pastors to preach restorative justice sermons during the week.
9. Communicating with the local radio, newspaper and television Restorative Justice Week through PSAs. (Public Service Announcements)
10. Attempt to have victim offender mediation processes going on in the community.
11. Have a community wide event to honor criminal justice professionals.

A Step towards Restorative Justice

We have to clearly call on people to engage in the criminal justice system: “In the love of Christ, who came to save those who are lost and vulnerable, we have to urge for the creation of a genuinely new system for the care and restoration of victims, offenders, criminal justice officials and the community as a whole. Restorative justice grows out of biblical authority, which emphasizes a right relationship with God, self and community. When such relationships are violated or broken through crime, opportunities are created to make things right”

Our current emphasis in the criminal justice system on retribution is neither moral nor effective. Retributive justice focuses solely on punishment and this focus has proven only to harden offenders and make prisons into breeding grounds of criminal behavior. This is seen most explicitly in high recidivism rates for those leaving prison. Today, an estimated two-thirds of those formerly incarcerated will be re-arrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years of release. Retributive justice therefore, results in more dangerous communities, more victims, and more families negatively affected by crime.

On the other hand, one important aspect of restorative justice, to which we as Christians are called to implement, is to create opportunities for ex-offenders once they leave prison. It will reduce high recidivism rates, provide practical support systems for ex-offenders, make communities safer, and reunite families separated by crime.