Back to RJ Archive

“Restitution to rehabilitation: How and why victims were removed from the criminal justice process.”

Van Ness, Daniel W
June 4, 2015

Source: (2001) Crime Victims Report 4 (January/February): 81, 92-93.

Van Ness and Strong note the analysis of the current interest in restitution and other aspects of restorative justice as a rediscovery of an old approach to crime and justice, an approach centered in community well-being and transactions between the offender and the victim to satisfy the injury caused by the offense. The authors point to ancient roots of restitution in small non-state societies, in larger societies with formal legal codes, and in the Old Testament. They then trace the demise of restitution in Europe and the rise of state-centered conceptions of crime and punishment. Early reform movements (e.g., in eighteenth century England) sought change by focusing on rehabilitation of offenders. Van Ness and Strong maintain that rehabilitation can in fact be good and effective to pursue, but that it should be complemented by goals and processes intended to address the needs and rights of victims.

Tags:

Abstract
Support the cause

We've Been Restoring Justice for More Than 40 Years

Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.

Donate Now