Restorative Justice In Australia
Research has shown that restorative justice conferences can reduce re-offending among juvenile offenders. What is restorative justice and what is the evidence to suggest it is effective?
Word Count: 2,589
There has been considerable interest in Australia since the late 1980’s in the use of restorative justice as an alternative to court proceedings. In particular, conferencing has been identified as a viable tool to reduce the seemingly proliferating level of offending amongst juveniles (Alder & Wundersitz, 1994), and indeed has been implemented in varying forms as a diversion away from the criminal justice system. In this essay, the notion of restorative justice will be explored, with a particular focus on the Australian implementation …show more content…
As evidence suggests, by incorporating principles of reintegrative shaming and developing resolutions that aim to reduce stigmatisation, there is a greater prospect for the offender to rehabilitate rather than recidivate. However, this does not mean that restorative justice is the answer to adolescent delinquency. The success of such programs as conferencing depends on the individual circumstances of each case, including the type of offence committed, the level of remorse, and the desire of the offender to restore justice to the victim. Furthermore, a reduction in recidivism is not determinative of success. It must also be shown that other fundamental aims of restorative justice have been fulfilled, such as victim involvement and satisfaction with the process, and an increase in compliance with restitution orders. Ultimately, the success of restorative justice is determined not by its ability to reduce recidivism alone, but its overall capacity as an alternative to traditional criminal justice …show more content…
59-62.
Daly, K 2002, ‘Restorative justice: The real story’, Punishment & Society, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 57, 73-4.
Hayes, H, Prenzler, T & Wortley, R 1998, Making Amends: Final Evaluation of the Queensland Community Conferencing Pilot, Centre for Crime Policy and Public Safety, School of Justice Administration, Griffith University, Brisbane, p. 40.
Latimer, J, Dowden, C & Muise, D 2005, ‘The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Practices: A Meta-Analysis’, The Prison Journal, vol. 85, no. 2, pp. 132, 137-41.
Lavelle, K 2004, ‘Circle sentencing breaks cycle’, Law Society Journal, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 19-21.
McGarrell, EF, Olivares, K, Crawford, K & Kroovand N 2000, Returning Justice to the Community: The Indianapolis Juvenile Restorative Justice Experiment, Hudson Institute, Indianapolis, pp. 1-6.
Maxwell, G & Morris, A 2001, ‘Family Group Conferences and Reoffending’, in A Morris & G Maxwell (eds), Restorative Justice for Juveniles: Conferencing, Mediation and Circles, Hart Publishing, Oxford, pp.
Word Count: 2,589
There has been considerable interest in Australia since the late 1980’s in the use of restorative justice as an alternative to court proceedings. In particular, conferencing has been identified as a viable tool to reduce the seemingly proliferating level of offending amongst juveniles (Alder & Wundersitz, 1994), and indeed has been implemented in varying forms as a diversion away from the criminal justice system. In this essay, the notion of restorative justice will be explored, with a particular focus on the Australian implementation …show more content…
As evidence suggests, by incorporating principles of reintegrative shaming and developing resolutions that aim to reduce stigmatisation, there is a greater prospect for the offender to rehabilitate rather than recidivate. However, this does not mean that restorative justice is the answer to adolescent delinquency. The success of such programs as conferencing depends on the individual circumstances of each case, including the type of offence committed, the level of remorse, and the desire of the offender to restore justice to the victim. Furthermore, a reduction in recidivism is not determinative of success. It must also be shown that other fundamental aims of restorative justice have been fulfilled, such as victim involvement and satisfaction with the process, and an increase in compliance with restitution orders. Ultimately, the success of restorative justice is determined not by its ability to reduce recidivism alone, but its overall capacity as an alternative to traditional criminal justice …show more content…
59-62.
Daly, K 2002, ‘Restorative justice: The real story’, Punishment & Society, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 57, 73-4.
Hayes, H, Prenzler, T & Wortley, R 1998, Making Amends: Final Evaluation of the Queensland Community Conferencing Pilot, Centre for Crime Policy and Public Safety, School of Justice Administration, Griffith University, Brisbane, p. 40.
Latimer, J, Dowden, C & Muise, D 2005, ‘The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Practices: A Meta-Analysis’, The Prison Journal, vol. 85, no. 2, pp. 132, 137-41.
Lavelle, K 2004, ‘Circle sentencing breaks cycle’, Law Society Journal, vol. 42, no. 8, pp. 19-21.
McGarrell, EF, Olivares, K, Crawford, K & Kroovand N 2000, Returning Justice to the Community: The Indianapolis Juvenile Restorative Justice Experiment, Hudson Institute, Indianapolis, pp. 1-6.
Maxwell, G & Morris, A 2001, ‘Family Group Conferences and Reoffending’, in A Morris & G Maxwell (eds), Restorative Justice for Juveniles: Conferencing, Mediation and Circles, Hart Publishing, Oxford, pp.