Restorative Justice Principles

• Crime is injury.

• Crime hurts individual victims, communities, and juvenile offenders and creates an obligation to make things right.

• All parties should be a part of the response to the crime, including the victim if he or she wishes, the community, and the juvenile offender.

• The victim's perspective is central to deciding how to repair the harm caused by the crime.

• Accountability for the juvenile offender means accepting responsibility and acting to repair the harm done.

• The community is responsible for the well-being of all its members, including both victim and offender.

• All human beings have dignity and worth.

• Restoration -- repairing the harm and rebuilding relationships in the community -- is the primary goal of restorative juvenile justice.

• Results are measured by how much repair was done rather than by how much punishment was inflicted.

• Crime control cannot be achieved without active involvement of the community.