Source: (2003) Acta Criminologica. 16(5):38-49. Criminological Society of South Africa. Downloaded 6 May 2004.
Personnel of the Restorative Justice Centre (RJC) and the Institute for Criminological Sciences of the University of South Africa (Unisa) formed a research team in July 2001 to plan and execute a research survey; its objective was to assist in creating a greater awareness of restorative justice in general, as well as of its meaning and applications.
A questionnaire was developed to gather factual data and to determine the views (perceptions) of the judiciary with regard to general views of the criminal justice system as well as specific aspects of restorative justice.
The study was confined to the magisterial offices of Pretoria, Pretoria North, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Themba and Mamelodi, which represent the main areas in which the RJC renders its services; this makes it reasonably representative of the context in which the RJC operates. Two hundred and five (205) questionnaires were distributed to all prosecutors and magistrates working at the aforementioned magisterial offices to be completed anonymously. Seventy-three (73) questionnaires were returned, which represented a response rate of 35,6%. The data of 69 (94,5%) of these questionnaires could be utilised and was therefore computerised. The actual response rate, therefore, decreased to 33,7%.
This article focuses on the extent of respondents’ knowledge of and training received in restorative justice practices, respondents’ general views on the criminal justice system, recidivism and the sentencing triad (Abstract courtesy of Acta Criminologica)..
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