RJP Purpose
The Pima County Attorney’s Office recognizes the community’s need for an adult restorative justice program that will serve, for qualifying offenses, as a community driven alternative to our current retributive model. Under the current criminal justice system, victims of crime often wait months for resolution. Moreover, they might have informational needs about the incident that go unaddressed, or have requests for what accountability looks like that sit outside what the traditional court system can provide. Qualified people who remain incarcerated, as well as their families, experience adverse harm and are not provided a way to take direct accountability.
Restorative Justice offers victims a chance to speak directly (or indirectly) to the person who caused harm and to have more control over how justice should be realized. It also offers the person who caused harm a chance to hear the impact of their actions on the victim and the community. The process focuses on repairing the harm done and making things as right as possible.