Source: (1989) Journal of Dispute Resolution 32: 89-106.
The availability of restitution as a disposition for juvenile offenders is widespread in the United States. This paper explores a less prevalent variant of juvenile restitution, distinguished by the use of mediation to reconcile victims and offenders and to establish the specific terms of restitution by consensus. In addition to general discussions of restitution and mediation, a focused descriptive profile of mediation interventions in juvenile restitution for Dallas, Texas is presented. This mediation program is scrutinized for its adequacy for addressing needs of victims and offenders within what Zehr (1990) identifies as retributive and restorative paradigms of justice. Finally, selective dimensions of performance, more suitable for restorative rather than conventional strategies are proposed.
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