Could restorative justice - also known as victim/offender mediation - work as an option for punishment of low-level crimes? The Texas Public Policy Foundation's recent report "Reviving Restorative Justice: A Blueprint for Texas" suggests yes. Derek Cohen explains and discusses the reasoning behind an approach that emphasizes the offender's debt to the victim rather than the offender's debt to the state.
'Restorative justice' presented as option for offenses

State of Texas