Source: (2003) Paper submitted for the XIth International Symposium on Victimology. 13-18 July 2003, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Downloaded 21 August 2003.
As Wemmers and Cyr point out, there is considerable debate about whether restorative justice offers victims a better deal than the current criminal justice system. Many restorative justice advocates argue that restorative justice certainly serves victims better; many victims’ advocates are wary or critical of the impact of restorative justice on the needs of crime victims. In view of this debate, Wemmers and Cyr ask, “Who is right? Do victims want to participate in the criminal justice process, and if so, how?â€? To answer, they present data from a study with victims of crime who were invited to participate in victim-offender mediation. As part of this, Wemmers and Cyr discuss the issues in the debate, procedural justice theory, and recommendations for a victim-oriented approach to criminal justice.
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