Crossing cultural boundaries: The experience of family group conferences.

Source: (2000) Paper presented at the United Nations Crime Congress, Ancillary Meeting on Implementing Restorative Justice in the International Context. Vienna, Austria, 10-17 April.

Maxwellxe2x80x99s purpose in this paper is to examine the transferability of family group conferencing from its form in New Zealand to other countries and contexts. A number of issues are discussed. These include the question of statutory authority for conferences, the organizational location of conference management, types of offenses referred to conferences, and accommodating cultural differences within jurisdictions. Other matters include monitoring conference processes for best practices, adhering to core values while giving control over the process to participants, and issues of power and control in relation to the involvement of professionals. Maxwell concludes with brief comments on the viability of family group conferencing across cultural boundaries.