NCJ Number
214704
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 307-322
Date Published
June 2006
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article examines the implications for restorative justice of the distribution patterns for State and national victim compensation programs.
Abstract
One study examined (Newmark and Schaffer, 2003) found that victim compensation in Maryland went primarily to young African-American male victims. The second study examined (Newmark, Bonderman, Smith, and Liner, 2003) determined that victim compensation at the national level was more likely to be received by older White female victims of domestic violence. The author suggests that this difference in priorities for the distribution of victim compensation reflects ideological differences based in liberalism and radical feminism. "Liberalism," as viewed by the author, refers to the concepts of John Rawls, who views liberalism as a commitment to reducing social and economic inequalities, the provision of equal opportunity for individuals to obtain positions or offices, and the guarantee of basic liberties for all citizens. This results in an ethical framework for achieving justice, fairness, and equality in a society. As used in this article, radical feminism refers to the view that men have historically dominated women under a patriarchal system that extends to male control of the female body and oppressive family structures. The author argues that the theoretical framework of liberalism is a better fit than radical feminism for the implementation of the concepts of restorative justice. Restorative justice focuses on bringing healing to the injuries that offenders cause their victims. Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey continually show that, overall, African-Americans have the highest victimization rates for violent crime. Being a male with low socioeconomic status is strongly associated with victimization. The distribution of victim compensation funds should reflect this fact. Liberalism is more likely than radical feminism to promote the tenets of restorative justice as implemented in victim compensation. 2 tables, 4 notes, and 48 references