ACResolution Magazine

respect for the dignity of each person involved in the process, and construction of social harmony by restoring the victim and any other offended person, the juvenile offender and the community at large. Through restorative processes, the participants are encouraged to come to understand the origins, causes and consequences of their conflict, and to try to repair any damage done to individuals and the broader community.

EXAMPLE OF A SUCCESSFUL CASE INVOLVING ADOLESCENT OFFENDERS

Many people still do not believe that restorative justice works, but we who are directly involved in operating the system are witnesses to the positive impacts on young people who participate actively in restorative processes. An example of one such process follows.

A juvenile justice judge recommended that two young male offenders participate in a restorative process. The youths, accused of robbery, were 15 and 16 years old, and they had no prior criminal history. Their victims were two elderly people who ran a small business out of their home. All parties agreed to a restorative meeting.

The two victims began the meeting by demanding a large payment to remedy the damage. As the process developed, it became apparent that the victims were also very fearful.

They had not slept at their home during the six months that
followed the robbery because they feared they were being
watched and would be robbed again. In a traditional case
involving juvenile offenders, a judge likely would have con-
victed the two offenders and required them and their parents
to pay for the damage done. This result would have resolved
the legal issues, but the victims’ emotional issues would
have been left untouched.

During the restorative meeting, the victims asked the offenders, “Why us?” “Were you watching us and studying our behavior?” The youths responded that the robbery had been a random choice and they had not observed the victims’ behavior before or after the robbery. The youths then asked the victims for forgiveness, explaining that they realized their actions had harmed not only the victims and their business, but also their parents and themselves. One of the victims expressed great relief to know that the youths were not observing them and that she would be able to sleep in her home again without fear. The youths and their parents agreed to pay for the damages caused during the robbery.

CONCLUSION

In Mexico, as in the rest of the world, to speak of restorative justice is to speak of building a culture of peace. The facilitators who work in the dispute resolution centers of the judicial branch and in prosecutors’ offices around the country endeavor to ensure that restorative processes function well and contribute to a more peaceful society. The path to a peaceful society is long, and there are many obstacles, but we are definitely on the right path. Today, our challenge is to maximize the knowledge and use of restorative justice. By training multidisciplinary professionals who offer quality services throughout the country, we hope that one day restorative processes will be the people’s first choice for resolving conflicts in criminal matters and that the traditional judicial process will become the alternative.