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  • Essay / Shannon's Life Saver: Restorative Justice

    The quote, "The best feeling in the world is seeing things fall into place after watching them fall apart for so long" (Glassman), best describes the effects of restorative justice on the life of Shannon Moroney. life in memories Through the Glass. She discovers that she is married to a man who commits horrible crimes and who uses restorative justice instead of retributive justice for her case. Restorative justice is a much more beneficial way of looking at a case. It helps everyone understand what's going on, it benefits the offender and gives them the chance to get a place in rehabilitation. Additionally, restorative justice gives Shannon a better opportunity to overcome the obstacles she faces. It's faster than retributive justice, can help overcome Jason's dark past and relieve crime victims' post-traumatic stress. Additionally, restorative justice helps Shannon restart her life. It helps her realize it's time to move on, makes her want to share her personal story to help others and leave everything behind. Through restorative justice, Shannon is able to stop always thinking about Jason and get her life back on track. If this is not used in Shannon's case, she will not be where she is today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To begin with, a restorative approach is a much better way to deal with crime than using the retributive criminal justice system. For example, compared to the retributive system, the restorative system does not simply put the criminal behind bars and move on to the next case. As Shannon learns more about the retribution system, she realizes that "incarceration only gives victims the knowledge that the offender will no longer harm them, at least as long as he or she is in prison." » (Moroney 250). The retributive justice system only makes the victim(s) aware that they will no longer be harmed by the same person. Restorative justice, on the other hand, takes a different approach to crime. Everyone affected by crime benefits from this form of justice. Not only the victim, but also, surprisingly, the offender. Additionally, the restorative justice system helps the offender more than the retributive justice system. Howard Zehr explains that three questions arise in both situations. In a retributive system, the questions are: “What law was broken?” Who did it? What punishment does he deserve? (250). However, in the restorative justice system, the three questions are: "Who was hurt?" What are their needs? Whose responsibility is it to meet these needs? (250). The retribution system only makes the offender's situation worse. The offender is incarcerated for his actions and is never able to talk to anyone about what happened. In a restorative justice case, the offender is able to open up. This system offers many healing processes such as “victim-offender meetings, group conferences, and circle meetings aimed at providing support and encouraging accountability” (251). Not only does this include healing processes for both the victim and the offender, but it places the offender on a path of rehabilitation. This allows the offender to discover the reason for his actions and learn from them. Another example that restorative justice is a better option is that it has been proven to work. This is demonstrated when MollyRowan Leach of the Huffington Post interviewed Colorado's restorative justice state attorney, District Attorney Stan Garnett. He said it “saves time, saves money for legal processing, is not just another alternative program, and is fair to everyone involved” (Leach). Restorative justice is not a way to let an offender off the hook or excuse their crime. It is a more effective way to combat crimes and is on the rise in many countries. In Shannon's case, choosing restorative justice over retributive justice benefits everyone. Second, by choosing restorative justice, it is easier for Shannon to try to overcome what happened to her. The crimes Jason commits take a heavy psychological toll on him. As a result, she needs to see a doctor for her mental health. When she receives her medical diagnosis, the doctor gives her the unfortunate news that “she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder” (Moroney 150). It is a condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible. So, by choosing restorative justice, Jason will be sentenced much sooner because it is a faster system. This means less time Shannon will have to suffer and worsen her condition. A faster attempt at healing is what she needs. Another example that proves the benefit of restorative justice is that it will help Shannon overcome Jason's crimes more easily. Shannon knows Jason will get the help he needs. This is the psychological help he desperately needs. As a child, Jason endured “sexual abuse from his mother, as well as his mother and her boyfriend; and physical violence at the hands of his late grandfather” (189). Thanks to the restorative system, Jason will be able to talk about his dark past. This could possibly lead to an explanation of why he commits these horrible crimes. Finally, by choosing restorative justice, one of its great advantages is that it “reduces the symptoms of post-traumatic stress in victims of crime” (Sherman & Strang). Shannon is always sympathetic to the victims. She realizes everything the victims have endured and how Jason's actions affect their lives. She says: “I could only do what anyone else could do: imagine what these women would go through and hope that somehow they would find a way out.” (Moroney 76). With restorative justice, there will be group discussions between Jason and the victims. He can apologize for what he did to them. This will help in the recovery of both victims. Therefore, Shannon is able to attempt to overcome the obstacles related to Jason's crimes. Finally, restorative justice not only helps serve Jason's sentence, but also helps Shannon move on and start her life again. For example, Shannon realizes that it is time for her to move on. She said: I remembered Una's deathbed advice: try not to take on other people's burdens. And there I was: I could worry and worry about Jason, or I could try to believe that he could take care of himself” (328). Shannon knows Jason will get the help he needs. She no longer needs to worry about him at all times. She must leave all the bad things behind. Additionally, by knowing more about restorative justice, Shannon is no longer afraid to talk about her personal experience. This leads him to receive an invitation to “a conference called; Restorative Justice: Humanizing the Criminal Justice Process” (325). By telling her story, she will help many people who are going through something.