Source: (1997) Corrections Today. 59(7): 20.
Greg Richardson contends that many people have a basic perception of criminal justice and corrections based on popular images and perspectives. In those images and perspectives the criminal justice professional is the necessary and sufficient guarantor of public safety and justice in the face of crime. The ordinary people of the community have little to offer. In contrast to these popular perceptions, Richardson argues that crime is more than a violation of a state statute. It causes real harm to real people. The victim, offender, and community ought to be involved in repairing the harm. Thus Richardson presents a case for restorative justice principles and processes as a comprehensive and radically different way to view and respond to crime.
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