The first pillar is 'inclusion of all parties, which have been affected by a crime, to resolve
the crime.'
Inclusion seeks the full participation of all parties affected, and it is accomplished by:
- Inviting all interested parties to participate
- Expecting the parties to pursue their own interests
- Being flexible enough to accept new approaches relevant to the particular situation.
One of the problems that the current criminal justice system suffers is that it excludes
the victim’s legal interest.There are several methods that can be utilized to include the victim in the restorative
justice process.
Keep victims informed about the services and rights they may expect, and the statusof their particular case in the punitive justice process. They should be informed of victim compensation, victim services, the steps of the criminal prosecution and the victim's rights during the proceedings.
Allow the victim to offer testimony about the physical, mental, emotional, social, and/or economic harm caused by the crime during the sentencing phase, as well as comment on what sentence the offender should receive.
Give the victim the legal right to pursue restitution during the criminal proceedings.
Allow the victim to consult with the prosecutor and initiate action independent of the prosecutor.
The victim should also be included in other stages of the criminal justice process such
as:
- Investigation
- Arraignment through pre-sentencing
- Plea-bargaining
- Sentencing
- Post sentencing