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Restorative Practice in Prisons: Circles and Conferencing in the Custodial Setting

Newell, Tim
June 4, 2015

Source: (2002) Paper presented at “Dreaming of a New Reality,” the Third International Conference on Conferencing,
Circles and other Restorative Practices, August 8-10, 2002, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Tim Newell, former prison governor in England, states that restorative approaches to crime and conflict resolution represent a cultural challenge to attitudes and assumptions that dominate prison governance and dynamics. Nevertheless, the problem-solving approach of restorative justice has much to offer. Restorative justice can be a culture-changing process for prisons toward becoming more effective in meeting the long-term needs of offenders, victims, and communities, as well as being a more harmonious environment for prisoners, staff, and management. Against this background, Newell discusses organizational and cultural change, paradigms and organizational structures, and the application of restorative ideas in prisons.

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