“Introduction: Restorative justice and the international juvenile justice crisis.”

Source: (1999) In Restorative juvenile justice: Repairing the harm of youth crime, ed. Gordon Bazemore and Lode Walgrave, 1-13. With an introduction by Gordon Bazemore and Lode Walgrave. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

Bazemore and Walgrave note the growing interest in restorative justice ideas and practices, especially in the sphere of juvenile justice. At the same time, the authors assert, there is an international crisis in juvenile justice as more and more criminal justice systems consider turning to harsher, more adult-like punishments for juvenile offenders. In this context, Bazemore and Walgrave contend there is a window of opportunity for restorative justice ideas and practices in juvenile justice. To realize this opportunity, advocates of restorative justice must meet three challenges: a clear definition must be developed that distinguishes true restorative justice ideas and practices from other ideas and practices, while at the same time it retains sufficient flexibility to foster creativity in thought and application; restorative justice must address the unique context of juvenile justice, for juvenile justice is in many ways a prime “laboratoryâ€? for restorative ideas and practices; and restorative justice must become a fully-fledged, systemic alternative.