NCJ Number
167800
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 58 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1996) Pages: 152-155
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article suggests how Community Corrections Act (CCA) legislation should reflect restorative-justice principles.
Abstract
In 1995, 25 States had some form of CCA legislation. The CCA is statewide legislation that provides jurisdictions with a subsidy, as well as the authority to plan, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive set of community-based correctional programs for the control, punishment, and treatment of the nondangerous offender. Through this legislation, counties receive funds to develop alternative sanctions. Under the current paradigm, CCA legislation addresses the relationship between the offender and the community, views the community as a helper, and applies only to nondangerous offenders. Restorative justice, on the other hand, addresses the relationship between offender and community, offender and victim, and victim and community. Further, it views the community as the primary instrument for program success and applies community-based corrections to all offenders, not just nondangerous offenders. Sample legislative wording to promote restorative-justice principles may be the following: "The purpose of correctional intervention shall be to repair harm and injury caused by crime. This objective will be administered by addressing the following goals: offender: public safety, accountability, competency development; victim: input, communication, restoration; community: awareness, ownership, restoration." Further, the legislation might state: "The offender, victim and community shall have the opportunity for direct, distinct, and equal participation in the criminal justice process, whereby the criminal justice system serves as a facilitator in accomplishing these objectives."