Restoring Justice: An Introduction to Restorative Justice

Restoring Justice: An Introduction to Restorative Justice, Sixth Edition, offers a clear and convincing explanation of restorative justice, a movement within criminal justice with ongoing worldwide influence. The book explores the broad appeal of this vision and offers a brief history of its roots and development as an alternative to an impersonal justice system focused narrowly on the conviction and punishment of those who break the law. Instead, restorative justice emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behavior, using cooperative processes that include all the stakeholders. The book presents the theory and principles of restorative justice, and discusses its four cornerpost ideas: Inclusion, Encounter, Repair, and Cohesion. Multiple models for how restorative justice may be incorporated into criminal justice are explored, and the book proposes an approach to assessing the extent to which programs or systems are actually restorative in practice. The authors also suggest six strategic objectives to significantly expand the use and reach of restorative justice and recommended tactics to make progress towards the acceptance and adoption of restorative programs and systems.

Daniel W. Van Ness has explored and promoted restorative justice as public policy advocate, program designer, writer, and teacher for 35 years. He received the John W. Byrd Pioneer Award for Community and Restorative Justice from The National Association of Community and Restorative Justice in 2013.

Karen Heetderks Strong has worked on restorative justice theory and principles since the late 1980s. She spent 22 years in an American non-profit serving prisoners, ex-prisoners, crime victims, and their families and supporting advocacy for reforms in the state and federal criminal justice systems.

Jonathan Derby has worked more than 16 years with non-profit organizations in India that help the most vulnerable access justice. Currently, he serves as Special Advisor on Restorative Justice with Prison Fellowship International and teaches restorative justice as adjunct professor at Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.

L. Lynette Parker is a consultant providing restorative practice training and guidance having provided services to organizations in 17 countries. As a restorative conferencing facilitator, she has guided victims, offenders, and community members through restorative processes in over 70 criminal cases ranging from shoplifting to reckless driving resulting in death.