Restorative Justice - an Alternative Concept of Reintegration of Child Offenders (English version)

Experience from other countries in the juvenile justice system proves that the reintegration of juveniles and young offenders into society, with a traditional legal system is rather difficult because there is some confusion about the legal status and rights of these minors. For this reason, the expansion of restorative justice tends to become, today, the main trend of youth justice reform in most contemporary societies. Unlike traditional criminal justice retributive nature, that focuses on punishment, by imposing tough sanctions against the author, depending on the crime’s gravity, the restorative justice is built on a practical system of rules and principles designed to ensure a proper treatment, for the victim and also for the offender, as through active community involvement in the process of mediation between the parties involved. The importance of community services and mediation lies in their ability to avoid passing through the juvenile court proceedings, thereby reducing the negative consequences this would have on them.