“Restorative conferencing.”

Source: (2001) In Restorative community justice: Repairing harm and transforming communities, ed. Gordon Bazemore and Mara Schiff, 173-197. With an introduction by Gordon Bazemore and Mara Schiff. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing Co.

Pointing to a number of conferencing programs, Morris and Maxwell observe that there are various models of conferencing. From this, they identify what they consider to be necessary characteristics for successful restorative conferencing. They apply their perspective by reviewing different examples of conferencing to determine their strengths and weaknesses. However, their purpose is not argue for one model of conferencing against other models. Rather, Morris and Maxwell maintain that the essence of restorative conferencing is not in the particularities of any one model; the essence consists in how well a model reflects or achieves restorative values, processes, outcomes, and objectives. Therefore, Morris and Maxwell explore the values, processes, outcomes, and objectives of restorative conferencing. These include, for example, primacy of victims, offenders, and communities of care; collective responsibility; social justice; inclusion in processes and decisions; acknowledgment of responsibility through making amends; restoring connectedness and reintegration; healing victims’ hurts; and more. While they include some discussion of victim-offender mediation programs, in general Morris and Maxwell focus on restorative conferencing programs.