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The Shape of Things to Come: A Framework for Thinking About a Restorative Justice System

Van Ness, Daniel W
June 4, 2015

Source: (2002) In, Elmar G.M. Weitekamp and Han-Jurgen Kerner, Restorative Justice: Theoretical Foundations. Deon, UK: Willan Publishing. Pp. 1-20.

In recent years, governments in a number of countries have adopted and implemented legislative and administrative measures that have been characterized as approaches and practices constituting restorative justice. What does all of this mean? Do such countries now have restorative criminal justice systems? What would a restorative criminal justice system look like? Employing restorative principles and values articulated in collaboration with Karen Strong several years ago, Daniel Van Ness explores the following areas to address the question of what a restorative system would look like: the components of a restorative justice system; elements in assessing the restorative character of a system (from minimally to moderately to fully restorative); and models of restorative justice systems. Van Ness concludes, with a certain caution, that the future of justice will at least include restorative elements.

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