What if the victim does not want to participate in a restorative justice process?
• Participation in the program is completely voluntary for all participants. • One of the primary goals of the program is to increase victim satisfaction in the system by giving them an active role in the justice process. Every effort will therefore be made to provide the victim with the information, preparation and support they need in order to participate in a restorative justice process. • It is recognized, however, that some victims may not want to participate in a restorative justice process. In such cases a restorative justice process could still be held, however, with others participating in the victim’s place. For example, secondary victims, such as a family member, or a member of the community in which the harm took place, could participate to talk about the impact the crime has had on them.
