Rabb convenes PA House Judiciary subcommittee meeting on restorative justice
Rep. Christopher M. Rabb April 30, 2024 | 2:28 PM
HARRISBURG, April 30 – State Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., today convened a non-voting informational meeting on restorative justice practices held by the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Corrections, chaired by Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny.
The meeting focused on non-carceral approaches and harm reduction the commonwealth could adopt within the criminal legal system as sentencing alternatives.
“Restorative justice is an approach to criminal justice that seeks to understand and repair the harmful consequences of a criminal act, focusing on the restoration of the victim and mending damaged relationships, as opposed to punishing the offender,” Rabb said.
“Research on restorative justice has consistently demonstrated higher rates of victim satisfaction, lower rates of recidivism and enhanced offender accountability. By emphasizing rehabilitation and accountability, we can find a better way forward with kindness, compassion, better outcomes and stronger communities.”
In collaboration with invested parties among and beyond testifiers who included offenders and victims alike, Rabb said he anticipates a vote on an amended version of his restorative justice legislation — H.B. 1849 — in a forthcoming House Judiciary Committee voting meeting.
The meeting can be viewed in its entirety here.