Scenario:

Sarah, a 15-year-old high school student, was caught shoplifting small items from a local convenience store. This was her first offense. Instead of prosecuting Sarah in the juvenile court system, the community opted for a restorative justice process. Sarah met with the store owner and a restorative justice facilitator to discuss what happened. During the meeting, the store owner shared how the theft affected the store’s business and employees. Sarah apologized and explained that peer pressure led her to steal, and that she didn’t fully realize the impact of her actions. The meeting concluded with an agreement: Sarah would work in the store for a month to understand the value of the items, and the store owner agreed to mentor her to develop better decision-making skills.

Assignment Instructions:

Reflection
Write a 500-600 word reflection addressing the following questions:

1. Impact of Restorative Justice:
   How does restorative justice in this scenario differ from how Sarah’s case would be handled in a traditional court system? Consider both short-term and long-term consequences for Sarah, the store owner, and the community.
2. Benefits and Challenges:
   What are the potential benefits of using restorative justice in juvenile cases like Sarah’s? Discuss how it could positively affect both Sarah and the store owner.
   Additionally, what challenges might arise from using this approach, both for Sarah and for the store owner? What might be some limitations or drawbacks of restorative justice?
3. Accountability and Repairing Harm:
   How does restorative justice encourage accountability and repairing harm, rather than focusing on punishment? Provide specific examples from the scenario to support your response.