Exam 6: Repair

Repair has three components: it should be needs oriented, amends focused, and justice informed.

People who suffer trauma may not act the way that law enforcement expects that people like them would act, thereby re-traumatizing them.

An apology has three parts: acknowledgement of what the person has done, remorse for what they have done and vulnerability.

According to the text, a restorative response to those who have been harmed by crime should be limited by the extent to which they contributed to the harm they suffered.

People who have caused crime may express remorse. This is never genuine and is a way of avoiding responsibility by pretending to be sorry.

Restitution is logically appealing, and has a long history of use in addressing harm. Furthermore, it is reasonable to expect that those who have caused harm to pay it.

According to the text, restorative justice principles suggest that the more indirect or general the injuries a person receives, the lower the expectation should be that a judge will order restitution.

After a crime, those who are harmed care very little about whether the person who harmed them will harm other people in the future.

According to the text, repair means efforts to assist the person who was harmed, ideally without creating additional harms.

Restitution is a direct way for people who caused harm to repay the person they harmed.

A commitment to restitution involves a commitment to making it feasible.

Apology may be an indication that the person who harmed others is taking responsibility, especially if it is offered after hearing about the nature of the harm they suffered.

Those who have been harmed need only receive restitution.

The difference between active and passive responsibility has to do with whether or not the person who caused harm voluntarily assumes the obligation to help makes things right.