Source: (2005) Marquette Law Review. 89(2):336-358.
Given both the worldwide influence of restorative justice programs
and the increased media attention to United States programs,5 empirical
studies that explore the relationship between the traditional criminal
justice system and restorative justice programs are necessary. Two
important research projects that explore this relationship in some depth
include Mark Umbreit’s descriptive work on the process of victimoffender
mediation programs involving severe crime in Texas and
Ohio,6 and Barton Poulson’s small but insightful meta-analysis of
victims’ and offenders’ psychological evaluations of both criminal and
restorative justice programs.7 We do not seek to replicate the important
findings of such studies designed to assess the impact of the programs.
Rather, we extend our work to examine communication in these
contexts through a close examination of one offender’s journey through
the criminal justice system and his eventual participation in a restorative
justice program. (excerpt)
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