ABSTRACT
Grounded in religious and indigenous traditions, restorative justice is an ancient concept that has dealt with criminal behavior in ways that are responsive to the offender, the victim, and the community as a whole (Lucas, 2001). The adage “crime wounds
… justice heals” has been at the heart of the American criminal justice system for centuries, focusing on crime as a violation of the law and offering punishment as the appropriate remedy. By limiting reparation to the punishment of the offender, the system has neglected to take into account the needs of the victim, thereby ignoring one of the most important aspects of the justice system (Shenk, 2001).
