An Offender's Participation in Radical Hospitality

Those who commit crimes and are convicted of those crimes sometimes experience deep remorse for the harms they caused. This may lead them to desire to make things right as much as possible. Some of these offenders discover restorative justice and especially victim-offender dialogue. Although a dialogue is just one component of restorative justice, it is more often than not the most difficult component to see happen. Victim-offender dialogue is normally prompted by the victim of a crime to ensure the victim is empowered and in control of the timing of a dialogue and receives no unwanted contact by the offender. 

Victim-offender dialogues, while preferable, are not necessary for an offender to participate in restorative justice practices. At any time, offenders may begin the difficult work of correcting character flaws; they can work on healing addictions; they can take ownership of their choices and the consequences and obligations those choices caused; they can educate themselves and others of the dangers of the choices they made leading up to them committing a crime; they can begin to develop empathy towards their victim(s); and they can participate in healing groups to help other crime victims. These, and other restorative justice practices, are transformational in offender's lives in contributing to lower re-offense rates and greater accountability on the part of the offender. 
A victim-offender dialogue allows an opportunity for offenders to be transformed by:

• Taking ownership of the injustice they committed
• Taking ownership of the consequences and obligations of their actions
• Developing empathy towards victims
• Receiving forgiveness (if offered) by the victim and community
• Experiencing hope for restored relationships, community reintegration, and participation in the community again

Victim-offender dialogues are often healing for victims and offenders, but offenders can express radical hospitality to victims by simply beginning the work of restorative justice on their own. This work itself is the beginning step of an offender becoming the person he should have been and still can be.