Forgiveness

In the article "Forgiven" by Paul Tullis the concept of "restorative justice" is applied in the case of 19 year old Connor McBride who shot and killed his girlfriend Ann Grosmaire.  What do you think of this as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system?  Is it realistic?  Is it more in keeping with Catholic Social teaching?  Explain your response.

After reading this article about the death of Ann Maire Grosmaire, and the alternative to the traditional sentence one would receive for this crime and I was moved. I can not imagine the grief that the Grosmaires feel but I find it really...admirable that they are so willing to forgive a man that hurt their family so much. I also like the idea of restorative justice because it offers another option for people who are willing to work for forgiveness  I do think that this idea is realistic because some people, though they do awful things, are not bad and need a second chance. Also it is an alternative to the death penalty, which is something that I am in favor for.  I believe that it does keep with Catholic Social because it enables people to think with compassion and look at situations from a different perspective. Restorative justice is a plan that I fully support and one that embodies Catholic Social teachings.