The JUST Alternatives Definition
Victim-Centered practice begins and ends with BELIEVING Victims & Survivors, and CHAMPIONING their needs for Justice, Accountability, Restitution, Repair, and Healing …
It means accepting as “causative” NO evasions or minimizations, such as …
- Levels of intoxication, disinhibition, or dysregulation in the offender.
- Levels of motivation, intention, or inattention of the offender.
- Chronological or emotional age of the offender.
- The intellectual or developmental capacity of the offender.
- Any Adverse Childhood Experiences of the offender.
- Any disorders, addictions, or paraphilias of the offender.
- Any criminogenic, criminal, or corrections history of the offender.
None of these factors, however correlated, cause, drive, or explain offenders’ decisions to harm others – or to extinguish precious lives – whether by vicious intention or utter disregard.
Victims of violence endure – and many survive – the traumatic overpowering of their humanity, choice, and control, by force, or fear, or chance, or charm, or other incapacitating factors.
No matter what the circumstances, true justice demands a rigorously Victim-Centered, trauma-informed, offender accountability-oriented response. Because Accountability MATTERS.
Restorative Justice in such crimes demands the very same. If the Restorative practice is not Victim-Centered, it’s not Restorative and it’s not Justice.
Listening closely, deeply, and continuously for Survivors’ unmet needs is the foundation from which all Victim-Centered advocacy and support – including post-conviction accountability work with offenders – must proceed.