Aspirations of Restorative Justice Proponents and Experiences of Participants in Family Group Conferences.

Source: (2006) British Journal of Criminology. Advancess Access published August.

This article will examine some key aspirations of restorative justice advocates. It will do so on the
basis of the evidence collected in the course of an empirical study conducted in one family group
conferencing project. The article will demonstrate that there is a significant gap between aspirations
of proponents and practical realities of restorative justice. Possible explanations for the existence
of the gap will be suggested. It will be argued that the findings of this study support some
concerns of critics about dangers resulting from pursuing restorative ideals in practice. (author’s abstract)