Source: (2003) Criminal Justice Studies. 16(3): 175–195.
After a period of remarkable growth, restorative justice now faces a dual challenge: the multiplicity of views
concerning its core values and the practical dilemma of gaining wider acceptance in “mainstreamâ€? criminal practice.
In this article, the author proposes a theory of restorative justice based on the core value of restoring trust, and
attempts to identify those factors regarded by the victim and the community as necessary for regaining trust,
including the requirement of deserved punishment. Understanding and utilizing these prerequisites for restoring trust
becomes the basis for a rational and empirically defensible sentencing policy, and enables the principles of
restorative justice to be used for adult and serious crimes as well as for juvenile, property offenses. Procedural
implications of this theory include the delegation of sentencing discretion to crime victims within boundaries
established by principles of proportionality and the rule of law. Author’s abstract.
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