Restorative Justice is a criminal justice system that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders and repairing and restoring relationships with the victims and the community In other words, it provides a meaningful way of addressing conflict and crime. While the restorative justice approach is not without its limitations, it offers an alternative to the retributive justice system and criminalization of youth. As a result, one of the essential issues in restorative justice is understanding the effects of programs on victims, offenders, communities, and the criminal justice system. In this essay, examine the impacts of restorative justice programs in Canada and determine whether the programs are working.

Consider this scenario:

"A student is unhappy with a mark he receives in school, and approaches his teacher indignantly about it. The teacher explains her rationale, listens to the student's concerns, and suggests they plan for the student to improve and re-submit the assignment. However, the student is unhappy with this idea and angrily storms out of the room. That night, the student and a friend drive by the teacher's home, throwing several eggs at the door and windows. The students are confronted at school and take responsibility for the vandalism. A facilitator in the school convenes a process among the boys, the teacher, and key school staff to discuss how to repair the harm."