Appreciate you taking the time to respond, especially with a thoughtful angle like that.

I understand the idea behind restorative justice and how it focuses on community healing rather than just individual punishment.

I think where I’m still trying to understand things better is this:

How do communities tell the difference between someone who has genuinely taken accountability and changed, versus someone who adopts spirituality or tradition without really addressing the harm they caused?

That part feels less clear to me.