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DOI: https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrsml.v11.i2.1
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Dr Pooja Khurana
Assistant Professor
Orcid Id 0009-0000-7767-3527
Abstract— Restorative justice has gained increasing scholarly attention as an alternative to retributive punishment within the Indian legal system, yet its operational efficacy in offender rehabilitation remains largely understudied. Existing literature centers on normative frameworks, judicial interpretations, and statutory provisions such as probation, parole, victim compensation and mediation, but provides limited empirical evidence evaluating outcomes such as recidivism reduction, victim satisfaction, and community reintegration. This research addresses this persistent gap by analyzing restorative mechanisms functioning within Indian courts and correctional settings, with a focus on measurable rehabilitative impact. The study further aims to assess how victim-offender mediation, community-based sanctions, and compensation schemes influence behavioral reform among offenders while strengthening victim participation. By integrating doctrinal review with field-based assessment, the research seeks to establish whether restorative justice can function as an effective rehabilitative model rather than a theoretical complement to traditional punishment. The findings are expected to contribute data-driven insights for policymakers, judicial bodies and criminological researchers, supporting evidence-based integration of restorative practices into India’s evolving criminal justice framework.
Keywords— Restorative Justice, Rehabilitation, Victim-Offender Mediation, Indian Criminal Justice System, Empirical Evaluation
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