The demand for criminal justice cannot be fulfilled by the traditional criminal justice system: it is too limited in scope, means and effectiveness. The search for alternatives is a common impetus among policy makers, politicians, criminologists, and the public. The alternatives involve a more prominent role for the victim and the community: mediation, compensation, restoration, shaming and community service. This article regards mediation and restorative justice as the most prominent alternatives. A policy emphasizing these factors can fill the gap between traditional criminal justice with imprisonment as its cornerstone and social policy which concentrates on equality and well-being. The factors show the settling of a new "equilibrium between law and morality." The article elaborates on the criminal justice paradox of much demand and limited supply; tries to diagnose the moral situation in post-modern society; argues that the mentioned alternatives are mainly focused on norm confirmation; tries to bridge the gap between social policy and criminal justice policy; and reflects critically on this development. Notes, figure, references