Back to the glossary Restorative

💡 Restorative Justice

Also known as: Restorative practice, Restorative paradigm

Model of response to crime centered on repairing the harm caused to victims, restoring community bonds, and holding the offending party accountable — rather than the punitive logic of punishment.

Restorative justice understands crime primarily as harm done to people and relationships, not as a violation of an abstract rule. That is why it seeks to actively involve victims, offenders, and the community in a voluntary, dialogue-based process of repair.

Unlike the traditional retributive model, which asks "what law was broken, who broke it, and what punishment do they deserve?", restorative justice asks: "who was harmed, what do they need, and whose responsibility is it to make things right?".

Examples / usage

At Liberté we work on restorative practices through the Comité de Convivencia Mario Juliano, the sessions facilitated by Diana Márquez, and the FAV program (Fondo de Apoyo a Víctimas).

Related terms

💡 Person in incarceration

Person under State custody whose freedom of movement has been temporar...

💡 Restorative encounter

Facilitated, voluntary meeting between the person who caused harm and...

💡 FAV

Program coordinated by Cooperativa Liberté that finances, with its own...