Passage:
Advocates of restorative justice correctly argue that the traditional retributive legal system, which fixates on state-administered punishment, inherently fails to address the ruptured social fabric caused by crime. True restorative justice shifts the focus away from abstract penal codes and toward the concrete needs of victims and the community, prioritizing mediation and active accountability over incarceration. However, as restorative models gain popularity, a troubling trend has emerged: cash-strapped municipalities are adopting 'restorative' programs primarily as a cost-cutting mechanism to reduce prison overcrowding. When diverted into a bureaucratic tool for fiscal management, these programs often become rote administrative hurdles—such as mandatory apologies or superficial fines paid to the court—that lack the deep, labor-intensive community engagement necessary for genuine reconciliation. For restorative justice to maintain its transformative potential, it must remain fundamentally rooted in community healing rather than state expediency.
Question:
Based on the author's arguments in the passage, match each of the following hypothetical new scenarios with the author's most likely evaluation of that scenario.
- A city requires offenders to pay a fee directly to the municipal treasury instead of serving jail time, calling this a 'restorative penalty'.Disapproval, as the policy merely uses reform terminology to serve fiscal interests without addressing the actual harm caused to the victim.
- A neighborhood council runs an independent program where victims and offenders engage in mediated dialogues to repair their social relationships.Strong endorsement, as the program is rooted in the concrete needs of the community and prioritizes genuine reconciliation.
- A judge sentences a non-violent offender to the maximum prison term, citing the need for strict adherence to the state's penal code.Condemnation, as the approach relies on the traditional system's flawed fixation on state-administered punishment and abstract rules.
- A probation office mandates that offenders complete a standardized online checklist to demonstrate accountability and clear court backlogs.Dismissal, as the method represents a rote bureaucratic process lacking the deep, labor-intensive engagement needed for true accountability.