ABSTRACT
Restorative justice has emerged internationally as a viable response to the harm caused by crime. As an alternative to systems that focus nearly exclusively on retributive justice, it seeks to elevate the role of crime victims and community members, hold offenders directly accountable to the people they have violated, and restore the emotional and material losses of victims. It provides a range of opportunities for dialogue, negotiation, and problem solving that can lead to a greater sense of community safety, confl ict resolution, and healing for all involved (Umbreit, 2001). Most restorative justice practitioners use a humanistic approach to mediation that is dialogue-rather than settlement-driven.
