How Restorative Justice is able to Transcend the Prison Walls: A Discussion of the Project ‘Restorative Detention’

Source: (2002) Typed Manuscript

In 1998 a pilot project in “restorative detention” began in six prisons in Belgium. Since then it has expanded significantly in the Belgian penal system. Robert and Peters in this paper sketch the origin and development of restorative detention in Belgium. They begin by explaining the contextual framework for the origin of the project, the purpose of the project, and project activities oriented toward building a restorative justice prison culture (including personnel, inmates, and links with the “outside world”). In the course of their discussion, they point to some of the specific challenges faced by this restorative project.