Victim Policies And Criminal Justice On The Road To Restorative Justice

This edited volume contains 22 papers organized into three sections under the following headings: part I is entitled On Promoting Victim Policies; Part II On Reforming Criminal Justice; and Part III On Restorative Justice. All three areas are ones to which Tony Peters, former Professor of Criminology in Leuven, has made a significant contribution and for which he is known as an international authority. During his long and productive academic career Tony Peters led many struggles for criminal justice reform. He was a leading figure in the movement to recognize crime victims' plight and to reaffirm their rights. In Belgium, he spearheaded the early initiatives in restorative justice and became one of its outspoken proponents nationally and internationally. There is no doubt that these three major topics and the various developments and reforms that are addressed in the papers will dominate the thinking about, and the practice of, criminal justice in the years to come. Thus, in addition to paying homage to a congenial friend and an illustrious colleague, it is hoped that this book will appeal and prove useful to all those who have an interest in victims issues, in criminal justice reform, and last but not least, in the promising paradigm of restorative justice.

"Although the topics dealt with are complex, the author has been very successful in presenting and exploring them clearly. Students may find particularly helpful the summary at the end of each chapter of the main points covered in that section. The Legal Executive "...the real strength of this book lies in the critical thinking that arises from the juxtaposition of two very much unfinished debates: the question of how victims are treated by the justice system, and the practices and implications of restorative justice. "...I feel this book is particularly important because it reframes a whole series of debates and practices which, otherwise, might be in danger of getting 'stuck'. That this is also undertaken by someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter and perceptive in relation to key issues is an added bonus." Vista Two of the principal and most influential developments within criminal justice policy - taking in a variety of common law jurisdictions during the past thirty years - have been the rise of the ‘victim movement’ and the emergence of a distinctive set of practices that have become associated with the term ‘restorative justice’. Understanding Victims and Restorative Justice examines the origins of and the relationship between these two sets of developments, and seeks to assess their strengths and weaknesses in meeting the needs of victims as part of the overall response to crime. Written in a lively and accessible style this book is of benefit to students from a range of disciplines including criminology, sociology and the law. Also helpful to professionals, practitioners and policymakers working in voluntary agencies within the criminal justice system.

The present handbook offers, in a quick reference format, an overview of key considerations in the implementation of participatory responses to crime based on a restorative justice approach. Its focus is on a range of measures and programmes, inspired by restorative justice values, that are flexible in their adaptation to criminal justice systems and that complement them while taking into account varying legal, social and cultural circumstances. It was prepared for the use of criminal justice officials, non-governmental organizations and community groups who are working together to improve current responses to crime and conflict in their community

This is the 2nd edition of Gavrielides’ 2007 monograph “Restorative Justice Theory & Practice: Addressing the Discrepancy”, a ground-breaking book that examines the harmful gap between the restorative justice theory and its application covering the UK, the U.S., Europe, and internationally. Data were obtained from four international surveys with over 300 restorative justice practitioners, using a combination of qualitative methodologies, including questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The 2nd edition provides critical updates for restorative justice research, policy and practice. Restorative justice projects strive to restore peace after a crime has been committed by involving victims, offenders and community representatives in dialogue. Previous studies reviewed by Dr. Gavrielides have credited these programmes with such benefits as lower recidivism, and higher levels of satisfaction with outcomes among victims, offenders and community representatives, compared to the traditional criminal justice system. However, the author’s seven-year research programme uncovered a pervasive gap between restorative justice principles and current restorative justice operations. This gap is blamed for widespread difficulties such as insufficient funding for restorative justice, inadequate training and accreditation of practitioners, lack of faith and commitment among staff, and a tendency for restorative justice over time to become increasingly similar to the standard criminal justice system. Dr. Gavrielides warns that if these problems are not corrected, the original values and benefits of restorative justice may never be realised. Foreword Part One: Arguing and Analysing the restorative justice literature CHAPTER 1: Restorative theory and practice in context; CHAPTER 2: Restorative justice: The Perplexing concept; CHAPTER 3: The International Dimension of Restorative Justice: From Theory to Policy and Practice; Part Two: Measuring the Gap between the restorative justice theory and practice; CHAPTER 4: The Practitioners’ Account; CHAPTET 5: Evaluating restorative justice CHAPTER 6: Problems in the Practical and Theoretical Development of Restorative Justice; CHAPTER 7: The UK Practitioners’ Account; Part Three: Pushing the Barriers – The application of restorative justice with hate crimes and sexual offences CHAPTER 8: Restorative justice and hate crimes: Addressing the gap between theory, policy and practice; CHAPTER 9: Restorative justice and sexual offending Part Four: Critical Reflections CHAPTER 10: Mind the Gap Between the Restorative Justice Theory and Practice; ——————————————- APPENDIX I. ORIGINAL SAMPLE OF SURVEY I (INTERNATIONAL) APPENDIX II. FINAL SAMPLE OF SURVEY I (INTERNATIONAL) APPENDIX III. SAMPLE OF SURVEY II (ENGLAND AND WALES) APPENDIX IV. SAMPLE OF SURVEY III APPENDIX V. SAMPLE OF SURVEY IV APPENDIX VI. CHRONOLOGY OF SEXUAL ABUSE CASES AGAINST THE NORTH AMERICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BIBLIOGRAPHY Book Reviews “In a time when restorative justice has been embraced with unbridled enthusiasm by virtually every criminal justice network and dispute resolution stakeholder outside of the criminal justice system, Theo Gavrielides presents us with an original, comprehensive, and essential examination of the subject. This work should be read by anyone and everyone who is the least bit interested in the future health of the restorative justice movement.” Prof. John Winterdyk, Ph.D. Department of Justice Studies, Chair, Mount Royal College, Canada “Theo Gavrielides has provided a constructive and thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of one of the most significant contemporary developments in thinking about criminal justice.” Professor Nicola Lacey, LSE, UK “Restorative justice is a noble concept, but if the actual practice does not match the ideal, it could be discredited. That would be a great loss. Theo Gavrielides has brought together some challenging thoughts about this danger…” Dr. Martin Wright, European Forum of restorative justice and Restorative Justice Consortium, UK and EU It is a concise, engaging, innovative and informative book for practitioners and scholars. This comprehensive introduction to restorative justice provides a much-needed textbook for an increasingly popular area of study and practice, which can be used as a basis for further theoretical development and elaboration on the concept’s limitations and accountability. Dr. Effi Lambropoulou Professor of Criminology Department of Sociology, Panteion University of Social and Politic, Greece As a restorative justice practitioner for ten years, I continue to be impressed with the in-depth research Theo Gavrielides does in the field of restorative justice. He meets the challenges with provocative and cutting edge topics directly and succinctly… The struggle of theory vs. practice has been a difficult one in the field since restorative justice began mostly with practice. Gavrielides approaches this struggle with wisdom of historical roots and with encouragement that restorative justice is developing theory to catch up with practice. Linda Harvey Program Director and Founder of the Restorative Justice Council on Sexual Misconduct in Faith Communities, USA “Dr. Theo Gavrielides’ book provides a special journey from the underlying theoretical foundations to the daily practice of restorative justice. By his thought-provoking and critical approach, he gifts the restorative justice field with an essential analysis that bridges theory and practice in an interdisciplinary and multisectoral way” Borbala Fellegi, researcher and lecturer at the ELTE University, consultant of the Ministry of Justice in Hungary in the field of restorative justice, Hungary

Handbook of Restorative Justice is a collection of original, cutting-edge essays that offer an insightful and critical assessment of the theory, principles and practices of restorative justice around the globe. This much-awaited volume is a response to the cry of students, scholars and practitioners of restorative justice, for a comprehensive resource about a practice that is radically transforming the way the human community responds to loss, trauma and harm. Its diverse essays not only explore the various methods of responding nonviolently to harms-done by persons, groups, global corporations and nation-states, but also examine the dimensions of restorative justice in relation to criminology, victimology, traumatology and feminist studies. In addition. They contain prescriptions for how communities might re-structure their family, school and workplace life according to restorative values. This Handbook is an essential tool for every serious student of criminal, social and restorative justice.

This work charts issues and developments affecting victims of crime from the earliest times to the modern day, including in particular reparation, compensation, and the evolution of restorative justice. It takes account of the changes in the 1990s.

Restoring Justice: An Introduction to Restorative Justice offers a clear and convincing explanation of restorative justice, a movement within criminal justice with growing worldwide influence. It explores the broad appeal of this new vision and offers a brief history of its development. The book presents a theoretical foundation for the principles and values of restorative justice and develops its four cornerpost ideas of encounter, amends, inclusion and reintegration. After exploring how restorative justice ideas and values may be integrated into policy and practice, it presents a series of key issues commonly raised about restorative justice, summarizing various perspectives on each.

"Although the topics dealt with are complex, the author has been very successful in presenting and exploring them clearly. Students may find particularly helpful the summary at the end of each chapter of the main points covered in that section. The Legal Executive "...the real strength of this book lies in the critical thinking that arises from the juxtaposition of two very much unfinished debates: the question of how victims are treated by the justice system, and the practices and implications of restorative justice. "...I feel this book is particularly important because it reframes a whole series of debates and practices which, otherwise, might be in danger of getting 'stuck'. That this is also undertaken by someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter and perceptive in relation to key issues is an added bonus." Vista Two of the principal and most influential developments within criminal justice policy - taking in a variety of common law jurisdictions during the past thirty years - have been the rise of the ‘victim movement’ and the emergence of a distinctive set of practices that have become associated with the term ‘restorative justice’.Understanding Victims and Restorative Justiceexamines the origins of and the relationship between these two sets of developments, and seeks to assess their strengths and weaknesses in meeting the needs of victims as part of the overall response to crime. Written in a lively and accessible style this book is of benefit to students from a range of disciplines including criminology, sociology and the law. Also helpful to professionals, practitioners and policymakers working in voluntary agencies within the criminal justice system.