to focus on healing the harm caused by crime;
to require/expect the offenders, to whatever extent possible, to take responsibility for making amends and healing the harm they've caused;
to recognize that crime is a community problem that can be addressed successfully only with active community participation -- not by delegation to law enforcement agencies, courts and corrections systems.
Although restorative justice might not be appropriate for someone that bites the head off of a hamster, it is certainly appropriate for a young man that terrorizes a physicians assistant by trashing her office.
