What is a justice circle?
Justice circles are part of the restorative justice process. In a justice circle, the offender, their family and other affected parties meet with a facilitator. The goal is to support the offender as they take responsibility for their conduct. The circle will also develop a plan for the offender to make amends to both the victim and the community. Justice circles are used by Youth Justice Committees and Aboriginal Community Justice Programs. They are particularly helpful to address low-risk offences, including property offences and minor assaults. A central feature of restorative justice is the notion of repairing the harm caused by crime and restoring the parties to the state of wholeness that was disturbed by the crime.
