Restorative Justice, Navajo Peacemaking and Domestic Violence.

Source: (2006) Theoretical Criminology. 10(1):67-85.

I argue that RJ processes may be beneficial for some women who
experience domestic violence, but only if those processes meet five
criteria: prioritize victim safety over batterer rehabilitation; offer
material as well as social supports for victims; work as part of a
coordinated community response; engage normative judgments
that oppose gendered domination as well as violence; and do not
make forgiveness a goal of the process. I review my earlier study of
Navajo Peacemaking in light of these criteria. I also explore the
significant differences between Peacemaking and other processes
that are said to be derived from Indigenous justice models, noting
in particular that the process is completely controlled by the Navajo
Nation. (excerpt)