Restorative justice may not be a common household term, but it is gaining widespread attention in criminal justice systems around the world.

The movement, based on victim care and criminal accountability, was the focus of the ninth annual Robert F. Boden Lecture held Wednesday afternoon in the Weasler Auditorium.

The address was given by Mark Umbreit, Marquette Law School's Boden visiting professor. Between 250 and 300 people attended the lecture, according to Jane Casper, assistant director of part-time legal education at the Law School.

Umbreit, who is also the founding director of the Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota's School of Social Work, said restorative justice "provides for a more balanced system of justice" that holds offenders accountable and brings the victims into the judicial process.

"Restorative justice, in the most simple sense, is a way of looking at crime as a wound within the community," he said. "It's about accountability and healing — not just punishing for punishment's sake."

One major component is victim-offender mediation, when the victims or victims' family get the opportunity to meet the offender face-to-face as part of a healing process, Umbreit said.

The movement began in the 1970s with one of the earliest success stories stemming from a small town in Indiana, Umbreit said. A judge ruled that children who had committed acts of vandalism had to meet with the victims to see the impact of their crime.

"These early efforts triggered a social movement that is pervading the nation and the global community," Umbreit said.

The U.S. government started paying attention to restorative justice in the mid-1990s, Umbreit said. In recent years, the European Union and the United Nations have recognized victim-offender mediation as a vital part of the criminal justice system.

Umbreit said the potential for restorative justice lies in countries riddled with conflict in the past, such as Northern Ireland, South Africa, Israel and Palestine.

South Africa in particular has used restorative justice "in promoting national healing through truth and reconciliation," he said.

Those in attendance were pleased with Umbreit's focus on the global aspect of the movement.

"A big part is trying to convey how widespread the movement really is," said Melanie Flint, a second-year law student.

Kyle Leighton, restorative justice administrative assistant, enjoyed hearing Umbreit speak about the beginnings of restorative justice.

"I'm glad he spoke about the grassroots aspect of the movement, and opened up people's eyes to what it is," he said.

Leighton said Umbreit's speech applied to the Law School's Restorative Justice Initiative, which helps small communities that want to start up restorative justice systems.

The Boden lecture was the keynote event for the Law School's Restorative Justice Week. Before the lecture, the Restorative Justice Institute recognized eight local high school students who won awards for essays written about victims in the criminal justice system at the local level.

The event brought the global aspect of restorative justice full circle, concluding with an African drum performance by the group Omo-Ana: Children of the Spirit of the Drum.

Polina Engel, a third-year law student, said the performance really tied into Umbreit's lecture.

"It was spiritual and moving," she said. "It was a perfect ending."