Justice: Retribution Or Restitution? | It’s A Question Of Balance 11 June 2015

Broadcast on 11 July 2015 on KSCO AM 1080, KOMY AM 1340 and KSCO.com Live Stream.

'It's A Question Of Balance' is a two hour show which balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage in the world. 

Check out podcasts of the different topics and arts guests at www.itsaquestionofbalance.com

Hour 1: Out And About – Conversations with People on the Street about Questions That Matter: Justice: Retribution or Restitution?

This week we consider ‘Justice: Retribution or Restitution?’ Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of the victims and the offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or simply punishing the offender. Would you like to see a process that also tries to heal the damage done and prevent such a crime reoccurring? Or do you think punishment is the only goal of justice? In retributive justice, crime is seen as an offence against the state whereas in restorative justice the crime is seen as a violation of people and relationships. Do you think about crime in this way at all or do you think of it primarily as about breaking laws? The reasons for crimes being committed in most cases are quite complex. As a community do you think we should be thinking of justice as also addressing the reasons for crimes being committed as part of justice? Do you feel there needs to be a constancy of punishment so everyone is punished pretty much in the same way for the same crime? Or do you think it’s appropriate for offenses to be treated on an individual basis?

What do you think? Ruth Copland gets the views of people on the street for our Out and About feature.

For more info on the show and to hear past shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com