Furthermore, restorative justice comes in many different forms depending on the traditions and preferences of the communities that adopt restorative alternatives. Components of restorative justice that may exist in one community may not exist in others. There are, however, broad parameters or principles within which almost all restorative justice initiatives fit. The best way of highlighting these principles is by contrasting them with the existing court-driven adversarial system. In the current criminal justice system, victims frequently feel frustrated and left out of their own cases, except perhaps for being witnesses.
Restorative justice recognizes that victims have many needs.
Restorative justice recognizes these needs, and allows for victim involvement in determining how those needs can best be met. In the conventional criminal justice system, offenders usually focus on avoiding punishment. The general fixation on punishment as the principal tool for correcting behaviour drives offender responsibility underground. If the only option available for offenders is a potentially harmful period of incarceration, nonacceptance of responsibility will be the standard response. It is socially more valuable to have offenders acknowledge the harm their actions have caused and right their wrong.