In restorative justice, who is considered a crucial participant aside from the offender and the victim?

In restorative justice, community members are considered crucial participants alongside the offender and the victim because they play an integral role in the healing and reintegration process. Their involvement brings a broader societal perspective, emphasizing that crime impacts not only the individual parties directly involved but also the larger community.

Community members can provide support, facilitate discussions, help mediate conflicts, and ensure that the community's values and needs are respected during the restorative process. They can also contribute to establishing accountability and fostering a sense of belonging, which is essential for both the victim's healing and the offender's rehabilitation. By engaging community members, restorative justice aims to empower the community to have a voice in the resolution of conflicts and to promote collective responsibility for social harm.

Lawyers, judges, and police officers typically operate within the framework of the traditional criminal justice system, which focuses more on punishment and legal proceedings rather than on healing and restoration, which are core principles of restorative justice. Their roles may not align with the restorative justice philosophy as closely as those of community members who have a vested interest in the community's well-being and integration.