Civilising criminal justice: An international restorative agenda for penal reform.

Source: (2013) Hook, Hampshire: Waterside Press, Ltd.

Restorative justice, while acknowledging the need for sanctions as a response to illegal and harmful behaviour, seeks to reverse these deep-seated attitudes in a constructive manner that encourages pro-social behaviour and an awareness of the harm done to victims and to communities. It requires and facilitates offenders to ‘put wrongs right’ by accepting responsibility for the harm done, making apology for it, and by making reparation to those harmed. Where there is a willingness on the part of the offenders to undertake such actions, restorative processes become the means by which they become enabled, empowered and encouraged to do so. Such a response is entirely different from that of punitive justice which makes no such demands. This is, we venture, to suggest, the core element of ‘civilising justice’ although as this volume shows, there are many different approaches evident in attempting to achieve the vision of ‘better justice.’ (excerpt)