Overview

Internationally, there is now an acceptance of the need to develop new strategies in criminal justice which reflect restorative justice principles. At the same time, theory, research and practice in restorative justice are making rapid advances. This book provides an up-to-date and critical account of recent developments. It describes the practice of restorative justice with respect to young offenders in a number of jurisdictions - Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States and various continental European countries. Research findings on the three most common formats - conferencing, victims offender mediation and circles - are presented and critical issues for the future development of restorative justice are identified. Two main themes run through the collection: the potential of restorative processes to transform criminal justice processes and the potential for aboriginal or indigenous communities to have an impact on conventional processes. Contributors include active researchers and leading theorists from around the world.