New Books on Restorative Justice

A number of new books on restorative justice have been released in the first part of 2001. Mirroring the international character of the restorative justice movement, these publications offer case studies, theories, and ideologies from many cultural groups to build a fuller understanding of restorative justice, its practice and potential.   The following descriptions are based on publishers’ notes.  Look for reviews of many of these books in subsequent editions of Restorative Justice Online.

1.  Anthologies.  Two anthologies offer a strong international flavor.  Restorative Community Justice: Repairing Harm and Transforming Communities, edited by Gordon Bazemore and Mara Schiff, is an anthology of papers on what the editors call restorative community justice.  The book is organized into five major sections.  The first deals with the theoretical foundations; the second on the roles of victims, offenders, communities and criminal justice organizations; the third examines conferencing, reparative boards and circles; the fourth offers critical perspectives; and the final section considers the future of restorative community justice.

Restorative Justice and Civil Society, edited by Heather Strang and John Braithwaite, highlights the importance of the institutions of civil society in transforming the justice system. Chapters explore issues of control (the State or civil society), human rights, democracy, and equity. Several authors consider the impact of movements such as victim’s rights groups have in the community and on the system. Others discuss school discipline, bureaucracies, security, and religion as they affect restorative justice and civil society.

2.  Restorative justice and state sanctioned violence. Two books examine the approaches that can be used in applying restorative principles to state sanctioned violence.  In, Justice and Reconciliation: After the Violence, Andrew Rigby explores the processes used after World War II, in Latin America, South Africa, and Palestine. In probing the practices from mass purges to truth and reconciliation, Rigby demonstrates the importance of understanding the past in creating a culture of peace.

These same issues are examined in Burying the Past: Making Peace and Doing Justice after Civil Conflict, edited by Nigel Biggar. The chapters take on the issues of politics and forgiveness, truth and reconciliation commissions, remembering the past and more. Case studies ranging from Guatemala to Northern Ireland to South Africa provide the context for understanding these issues.

3.  Religion and restorative justice.  Three books explore the ways that religion affects the way individuals or society view crime, criminals, and justice. In Justice that Restores, Charles W. Colson¹ argues that increasing expenditures on prisons and “tough on crime” legislation are not the solutions to the crime problem. The solution, he argues, requires an understanding of justice built on a biblical worldview, one that pursues restoration rather than rehabilitation.

In Beyond Retribution: A New Testament Vision For Justice, Crime, and Punishment, Christopher Marshall argues that ethical teachings from the New Testament are relevant to mainstream society. Building on the concept of the justice of God found in the teachings of Paul and Jesus, he reviews the debate in social thinking over the ethics and purpose of punishment—including capital punishment.  He concludes with a new concept, one he calls "restorative punishment."

While Colson and Marshall argue the Christian principles that support restorative justice, The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice, edited by Michael Hadley, explores the relationship between restorative justice and many world religions, from Islam to Christianity to Aboriginal Spirituality. This interdisciplinary volume reviews the compatibility of restorative justice within diverse religious traditions.

4.  Comprehensive treatments.  Three books offer more comprehensive treatments of restorative justice or restorative processes.  Mark Umbreit’s The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation offers guidance for establishing victim offender mediation programs. Drawing on research conducted by Umbreit and his colleagues at the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking, the book provides an overview of the philosophy and context of mediation, a review of the research, and exploration of emerging issues.

Daniel W. Van Ness and Karen Heetderks Strong² have significantly updated and expanded on their 1997 edition of Restoring Justice.  This comprehensive treatment, intended for use as a text in courses on restorative justice, reviews the foundations, key values, criticisms of and future of the restorative justice movement. A new chapter explores what an entirely restorative system of justice might look like.

Braswell, Michael, John Fuller, and Bo Lozoff, Corrections, Peacemaking, and Restorative Justice: Transforming Individuals and Institutions, explores the potential for peacemaking in criminological thought, the criminal justice system, and society in general. Peacemaking and restorative justice are not simply about understanding peace, but also draw us to become more peaceful ourselves. This book emphasizes the need for both personal and institutional transformation.

 

Other books due to be published in 2001 include:

Barkan, Elazar. The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negotiating Historical Injustices. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Braithwaite, John. Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. New York: Oxford University Press.

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Foot notes: 

1 Charles Colson is the founder of Prison Fellowship International whose Centre for Justice and Reconciliation maintains Restorative Justice Online.

2 Van Ness and Strong work for Prison Fellowship International and its US affiliate Prison Fellowship Ministries, respectively.

July 2001