Piloting victim–offender conferencing in South Africa.

Source: (2005) In Traggy Maepa, ed., Beyond Retribution: Prospects for Restorative Justice in South Africa. Monograph no. 111, February. Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, with the Restorative Justice Centre. Downloaded 9 August 2005.

The author evaluates a pilot victim- offender program that operated in the Gauteng district of South Africa for three years beginning in 1999. She describes the how the project was started, how it operates, and its mission. There were a total of 660 cases mediated by the various sites over the three year period. These cases were referred from a variety of sources including courts, police, and community based organizations. The author explains what happens in these mediations and the various outcomes. In her conclusion, the author advocates for the use of victim-offender mediations in South Africa because of its compatibility with the values and identity of South Africans. She does not suggest that victim-offender mediations are the only solution to the increase in crime in South Africa, but says it may be one answer to the problem. Abstract courtesy of the Marquette University Law School-Restorative Justice Initiative http://law.marquette.edu/cgi-bin/site.pl?2130&pageID=1831