Critical Issues in Restorative Justice - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1881798518 ISBN 13: 9781881798514

Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2004

Synopsis

In a mere quarter-century, restorative justice has grown from a few scattered experimental projects into a worldwide social movement. Moving beyond its origins within the criminal justice arena, restorative justice is now being applied in schools, homes and the workplace.

The restorative justice approach challenges the idea that state punishment is the best method of achieving justice. This "restorative" alternative strives to directly address the needs of all persons affected by a crime or a harm, often by bringing together victims, offenders and community members in some form of structured mediation or dialogue.

The distinguished contributors to this book are all long-term advocates and practitioners of restorative justice from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa. The 31 chapters confront the key threats to the integrity and effectiveness of the emerging international restorative justice movement: (1) cooptation or diversion from its core mission, and the possibility that reforms may cause unintended consequences; (2) being relegated primarily to "minor" crimes or conflicts, so that it has minimal impact on the overall system or justice; and (3) inherent flaws that undermine its effectiveness, such as failure to address social problems that breed conflicts, and methods skewed by cultural or gender biases.

About this title

About the Author:

Howard Zehr is one of the founders of the restorative justice field, having directed the first victim offender reconciliation program (VORP) in the U.S. He is a Professor of Restorative Justice and co-director of the graduate Conflict Transformation Program at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Virginia. He is the author of the classic book "Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice," and editor of "The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding" series.

Barb Toews is a restorative justice practitioner, trainer and mediator, who was the founding director of a VORP in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She currently facilitates restorative justice programs in prisons through the Pennsylvania Prison Society, and she holds a masters degree in Conflict Transformation from EMU.

Review:

"...a book to be savored. Each chapter provides a thoughtful and thought-provoking glimpse into critical challenges facing restorative justice." -- Daniel W. Van Ness, Prison Fellowship International

"...an excellent resource... manages to capture the essence of the many contested areas within RJ (restorative justice." -- Anna M. Eriksson, British Journal of Criminology

"All who are interested, who seek understanding of...restorative justice, must read and own this book. Get it now." -- Dan Okada, Critical Criminology, vol. 13, #2

"a book to be savored. Each chapter provides a thoughtful and thought-provoking glimpse into critical challenges facing restorative justice." -- Daniel Van Ness, Director, PFI Center for Justice and Reconciliation

"raises the most important questions in restorative justice today...assembles an impressive array of scholars and practitioners to answer them." -- Prof. David Karp, Skidmore College

About this edition

• Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1881798518
• ISBN 13: 9781881798514
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 412
• Editor: Zehr Howard, Toews Barb