How did restorative justice start?

Restorative justice has its roots in indigenous and traditional cultures and has been used for centuries to resolve conflicts and restore relationships. However, in the modern criminal justice system, restorative justice emerged as an alternative to the traditional retributive justice model that focused on punishing offenders. The emergence of restorative justice in the modern criminal justice system can be traced back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a group of criminologists, activists, and practitioners began to challenge the prevailing view of justice as a punitive and adversarial process.

One of the earliest and most influential figures in the restorative justice movement was Howard Zehr, a criminologist and practitioner who first began to develop the concept of restorative justice in the 1970s. Zehr’s work was influenced by his experiences as a Mennonite in the United States, where he observed the principles of restorative justice in action within his own community. In the late 1970s, Zehr began to apply these principles to the criminal justice system and to advocate for a more victim-centered approach to justice.

Zehr’s work was heavily influenced by the emerging victims’ rights movement, which began to gain traction in the 1970s and 1980s. The victims’ rights movement was a response to the widespread dissatisfaction with the traditional criminal justice system, which was seen as being too focused on offenders and too dismissive of the needs and perspectives of victims. Victims’ rights advocates argued that victims should have a more prominent role in the justice process and that their needs should be prioritized over those of offenders.

The emergence of victim voices in the criminal justice system was a crucial factor in the development of restorative justice. Restorative justice emphasizes the importance of repairing the harm caused by crime and of restoring relationships between victims, offenders, and communities. In order to do this, it is necessary to involve victims in the justice process and to give them a voice in determining the outcome of the case.

One of the earliest examples of restorative justice in the modern criminal justice system was the establishment of the first official victim-offender mediation program in Kitchener, Ontario in 1977. This program was established by a group of individuals including Howard Zehr, who helped to develop the concept of victim-offender mediation as a way to bring together victims and offenders to discuss the harm that had been caused and to find ways to repair the damage. This program served as a model for similar programs across North America and helped to establish restorative justice as a viable alternative to traditional justice systems.

In the decades since the establishment of the first victim-offender mediation program, restorative justice has continued to gain momentum as a viable alternative to traditional justice systems. Restorative justice programs have been established in many jurisdictions around the world, and they have been used to address a wide range of criminal offenses, from minor property crimes to serious offenses like homicide.

The success of restorative justice programs has been attributed in part to the fact that they prioritize the needs and perspectives of victims. Restorative justice programs are designed to give victims a voice in the justice process and to allow them to participate actively in the healing and reconciliation process. By involving victims in the justice process and giving them a role in determining the outcome of the case, restorative justice programs help to restore the sense of agency and control that victims may feel they have lost as a result of the crime.

Key Articles:

The Origins of Restorative Justice
The History of Restorative Justice
The Use of Restorative Justice around the World
The use of Restorative Practices in Ancient Cultures
Pioneers and turning points in the history of restorative justice