Part 1 - General Provisions (720 ILCS 405/Article V, Part 1)
A. The Balance and Restorative Justice philosophy was a driving force in the development of the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1998. Even though the words, 'balance and restorative justice' do not appear in the new law, Illinois has followed states such as Pennsylvania and Minnesota in reforming laws through the application of this philosophy, which has been compared to community policing.
Restorative justice for Illinois is described as follows:
-
“It is a relationship between individuals, society, and institutions. Its goal is to restore balance. It can be analyzed by dividing it into three major factions, including accountability, competency development, and public safety. Balance is achieved when all three of these areas are provided with equal and adequate resources. Restorative justice is uniquely applicable to criminal behavior. It moves from a punitive approach to a restorative approach. Punishment is not eliminated in this approach and cases are evaluated on an individual basis. According to the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BRJ) approach, (1) crime violates the relationship between the people involved; (2) BRJ aims to identify needs and obligations of both victim and offender so that things can be made right; (3) it encourages dialogue and mutual agreement between the victim and the offender; (4) BRJ gives the victim and offender a central role, and; (5) BRJ is judged by the extent to which responsibilities are assumed, needs are met, individuals are healed, and positive relationships are encouraged.”
