Editorial Introduction: Restorative Justice.

Source: (2005) Criminology & Public Policy. 4(1): 101-102.

Restorative justice is a new movement contained within an old idea. The
old idea is that justice requires of people who victimize others to “make
right” what they have done by restoring the victim’s losses. The new movement
is a worldwide panoply of new programs, initiatives, and special
projects aimed to restore victims by having those who wronged them
repair the harm. The swiftness with which restorative justice and related
strategies have captured the imagination of justice system reformers is
striking. No more than 20 years ago, these kinds of programs would be
considered “fringe” ideas, falling well outside the mainstream of the concern
of justice officials. Today, concepts associated with restorative justice
principles—community participation, victim-offender interaction, reparative
sanctions, and so forth—are a firm part of mainstream justice system
priorities.
Two worthy questions arise. First, why is there, today, such an outbreak
of interest in restorative justice? And second, how well have these new
restorative programs worked? (excerpt)