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Strehorn, Molly Ryan. Restorative Probation in Franklin County, Massachusetts: A Qualitative Evaluation: In Franklin County, MA, Restorative Probation, which began in 1996 serving residents of the county through the courts, is a partnership program under the Reinventing Justice Project. Restorative Probation is an alternative rehabilitation program in which offenders meet with a group of community volunteers, the victim, and anyone else impacted by the crime. Restorative justice is used around the world to heal the relationships damaged by crime. With the main goal of restorative work to heal relationships damaged by crime, it is extremely difficult to measure its outcomes through evaluation. Since its inception in 1996, Restorative Probation has not had a formal assessment. This qualitative evaluation of Restorative Probation concentrates on the impact that the program has on offenders. A survey was utilized which concentrated on the probationers who successfully completed the program in the past 4 years. The evaluation indicates that the program is making great strides in the process of healing the relationships damaged by crime. The key values provide a solid framework for programs such as Restorative Probation to offer holistic approaches to community justice. The implementation of the Reinventing Justice project in Franklin County shows strong community activism and willingness on the part of the civic leaders to try new methods. Recommendations were presented on ways to improve Restorative Probation. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.
Littlechild, Brian. An Evaluation of the Implementation of a Restorative Justice Approach in a Residential Unit for Young People in Hertfordshire: Final Report: This evaluation of the introduction of a restorative justice (RJ) approach in a young person's residential unit was undertaken at the request of the Hertfordshire Youth Justice Service. Staff at Hertfordshire County Council Children School and Families Service's Stanfield residential young person's unit had agreed to be trained in, and implement, a RJ approach when dealing with problematic and/or criminal behaviour exhibited by residents. It was agreed that the independent evaluator would conduct interviews with staff and young people in order to examine how attitudes and practice changed between the pre-introduction period and six months afterwards. Nine staff were interviewed prior to the introduction of RJ, and six staff six months afterwards, utilizing semi-structured interview schedules. Two group sessions with staff were led by the evaluator, one in the unit for younger residents and one in the unit for older residents. The group sessions took place six months after the implementation, and focussed upon the effects and processes of the implementation of the RJ approach, and allowed substantial periods of time to explore the issues raised in the individual semi-structured interviews. At the end of the implementation period, two interviews with young people took place; one within the younger person's unit, and the other within the older young person's unit. Rates of recorded police call outs, and incidents recorded within the establishment, were also examined. (excerpt)
O'Dwyer, Kieran. A program of restorative cautioning by the police in the Republic of Ireland: This paper presents an overview of findings from recent and current evaluations of restorative justice initiatives for young offenders in the Garda Siochána, the national police service of the Republic of Ireland. The restorative interventions are of two kinds, both of which occur under the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme. The first involves the victim in formal cautions and offers the possibility of apology and reparation. The second provides for family conferences that operate in much the same way as restorative cautions but go on to discuss the offending behaviour in more depth and develop action plans to avoid a recurrence. The paper addresses the place of the initiatives in the Irish criminal justice system and presents relevant results from evaluations of 83 cases. Among the issues raised are: case selection (criteria, suitability, barriers to greater use), the voluntary nature of participation and the type of outcomes achieved. Author's abstract.
Miers, David and et al. Polish Restorative justice and practice in Poland and Britain: Report of a British and Polish Academies' exchange initiative (International Co-operation on the Implementation of Restorative Justice in Poland and Great Britain).: This Report has been compiled from the activities that have been organised as part of a three-year project funded by the British Academy and the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its purpose is to exchange information and experience about the use and effects of restorative justice and victim-offender mediation for both adult and juvenile offending. The Report includes reflections on Polish practice, and papers given by Polish and British experts. It is intended to inform colleagues (in whatever capacity) working with restorative justice and victim offender mediation of developments within Poland and Great Britain. The project is set in the broader context of the various European developments that have taken place over the past decade. Articles 10 and 17 of The European Union’s Framework Decision on the Standing of Victims in Criminal Proceedings, which oblige Member States to adapt their legislation in order to promote victim-offender mediation by March 2006, is of particular relevance. The Polish criminal justice system’s responses to crime are, in the case of restorative justice interventions, less well developed than in Great Britain. From the Polish perspective, the principal objective of this research proposal is to gather information about the design and delivery of such interventions for the purpose of informing their own initiatives.
Restorative Practices and Reoffending: Recently, a short article in The Report (1) questioned Canada's use and support of restorative justice programmes. The article quoted a claim in the May issue of Canadian Lawyer that after five years of use there was no proof that restorative justice programmes work. However, recent research has demonstrated that restorative justice programs do in fact reduce recidivism.
Restorative Justice Theory and Practice: Mind the Gap!: Theo Gavrielides, a researcher at the London School of Economics, recently completed a qualitative investigation of possible discrepancies between the implementation of restorative justice practices and the development of restorative justice theory.
Transforming Attitudes Towards Offending: The Sycamore Tree Project® is an in-prison programme bringing unrelated victims and offenders together for conversations about crime. The programme allows them to reflect together on the consequences of crime and the steps needed to address the harm that has resulted.
Jenny Aguliar and Marilyn Peterson Armour and Crystal Taub and Jenny Aguliar and Liliane Cambraia Windsor and Marilyn Peterson Armour. A Pilot Study of a Faith-Based Restorative Justice Intervention for Christian and Non-Christian Offenders: As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise in influencing offenders' internal motivations and external behaviors. Using a one-group, pretest-posttest design, this pilot study found significant change in offenders' (n=102) moral motivations (empathy, perspective taking, forgiveness, proneness to forgive, daily spiritual experiences, and relationships with others) after their self-selected participation in a 14-week faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine the impact of reported subscription to Christianity on pretests and score changes. At pre-test, Christian participants (n = 66) were more likely to forgive than non-Christian participants (n = 33) who conversely were more likely to see the perspectives of others, Christian offenders had significantly higher change scores on perspective taking and empathic concern than non-Christian participants. Findings have implications for the use of faithbased programs and victim-centered curriculums to change offenders' moral motivations and for matching faith-based Christian programs with Christian participants.
. Preliminary evaluation of behavioural outcomes in a corrections-based victim awareness program for offenders.: This article follows up on an earlier study that found significant improvements in three of four knowledge and sensitivity factors measured in offenders who participated in an impact of crime on victims “victim awareness” program. The current study investigated behavioral outcomes in a similar study population, namely disciplinary infractions that occurred while participants continued their incarceration. Findings indicated that African-American adult males in the treatment group exhibited significantly fewer A-level (most serious) disciplinary problems than did their comparison group counterparts, while all other subgroup comparisons did not yield such significant differences. This result, although limited to one subgroup, remains both interesting and useful given that African-American males are typically overrepresented in correctional populations and given the seriousness of the offenses at issue here. Reducing the frequency of serious infractions, and therefore these additional victimizations, is critical to the safety of both inmates and correctional officers. (abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.gov).
Miers, David and et al. Exploratory Evaluation of Restorative Justice Schemes: This report presents the results of a 15-month study of the effectiveness of seven British restorative justice (RJ) schemes conducted between December 1999 and June 2000, two of them dealing primarily with adult offenders and the other five with juveniles. The objectives of the research were to identify which elements, or which combination of elements, in RJ schemes were most effective in reducing crime and at what costs, as well as to provide recommendations on the content of and best practice for schemes to be mainstreamed. Following an initial feasibility study, fieldwork for the main body of the research began in December 1999. The main elements of the fieldwork were the collection of descriptive information about the schemes' status, history, philosophy, policies, and practices; and the collection and analysis of process and output data about the practical operation of schemes, the impacts of the schemes, data relevant to measuring outcomes, and data relevant to the determination of cost-effectiveness. The schemes evaluated were diverse in their understanding of the notion of "restorative Justice," their degree of focus on victims and offenders, and their implementation of the interventions which they undertook. The schemes were also fragile in being vulnerable to funding cuts, and they were often dependent on intensive labor commitments by small numbers of exceptionally committed individuals. Even at the times when they were receiving substantial numbers of referrals, most schemes made unambiguously "restorative" interventions in relatively few cases. Victims who had experienced some form of restorative justice were broadly favorable toward the concept, appreciating the opportunity to express their views and experience some restoration based on offender action.
. Do victim impact programs reduce recidivism for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated? Findings from an outcomes evaluation.: In victim impact panels, persons convicted of driving while intoxicated are confronted by survivors of accidents caused by drunk drivers. The objective is to reduce the number of subsequent convictions by increasing empathy with victims and increasing awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of drinking and driving. Participation in a victim impact course was not found to consistently reduce reoffending in a sample of persons convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. More specifically, program participants were just as likely to reoffend as non-participants and sometimes more likely. (author's abstract)

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Navigation RJ Office Kinds of Programmes Practice Issues Programme Administration and Funding Programme Policy Manuals Building Support For Restorative Justice Training Evaluation Evaluation Reports Evaluation Reports Conferencing Circles Mediation Other Evaluation Tools Real People, Real Stories Programme Examples Kinds of Crimes Accreditation Staying Restorative	Info Strehorn, Molly Ryan. Restorative Probation in Franklin County, Massachusetts: A Qualitative Evaluation In Franklin County, MA, Restorative Probation, which began in 1996 serving residents of the county through the courts, is a partnership program under the Reinventing Justice Project. Restorative Probation is an alternative rehabilitation program in which offenders meet with a group of community volunteers, the victim, and anyone else impacted by the crime. Restorative justice is used around the world to heal the relationships damaged by crime. With the main goal of restorative work to heal relationships damaged by crime, it is extremely difficult to measure its outcomes through evaluation. Since its inception in 1996, Restorative Probation has not had a formal assessment. This qualitative evaluation of Restorative Probation concentrates on the impact that the program has on offenders. A survey was utilized which concentrated on the probationers who successfully completed the program in the past 4 years. The evaluation indicates that the program is making great strides in the process of healing the relationships damaged by crime. The key values provide a solid framework for programs such as Restorative Probation to offer holistic approaches to community justice. The implementation of the Reinventing Justice project in Franklin County shows strong community activism and willingness on the part of the civic leaders to try new methods. Recommendations were presented on ways to improve Restorative Probation. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org. Littlechild, Brian. An Evaluation of the Implementation of a Restorative Justice Approach in a Residential Unit for Young People in Hertfordshire: Final Report This evaluation of the introduction of a restorative justice (RJ) approach in a young person's residential unit was undertaken at the request of the Hertfordshire Youth Justice Service. Staff at Hertfordshire County Council Children School and Families Service's Stanfield residential young person's unit had agreed to be trained in, and implement, a RJ approach when dealing with problematic and/or criminal behaviour exhibited by residents. It was agreed that the independent evaluator would conduct interviews with staff and young people in order to examine how attitudes and practice changed between the pre-introduction period and six months afterwards. Nine staff were interviewed prior to the introduction of RJ, and six staff six months afterwards, utilizing semi-structured interview schedules. Two group sessions with staff were led by the evaluator, one in the unit for younger residents and one in the unit for older residents. The group sessions took place six months after the implementation, and focussed upon the effects and processes of the implementation of the RJ approach, and allowed substantial periods of time to explore the issues raised in the individual semi-structured interviews. At the end of the implementation period, two interviews with young people took place; one within the younger person's unit, and the other within the older young person's unit. Rates of recorded police call outs, and incidents recorded within the establishment, were also examined. (excerpt) O'Dwyer, Kieran. A program of restorative cautioning by the police in the Republic of Ireland This paper presents an overview of findings from recent and current evaluations of restorative justice initiatives for young offenders in the Garda Siochána, the national police service of the Republic of Ireland. The restorative interventions are of two kinds, both of which occur under the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme. The first involves the victim in formal cautions and offers the possibility of apology and reparation. The second provides for family conferences that operate in much the same way as restorative cautions but go on to discuss the offending behaviour in more depth and develop action plans to avoid a recurrence. The paper addresses the place of the initiatives in the Irish criminal justice system and presents relevant results from evaluations of 83 cases. Among the issues raised are: case selection (criteria, suitability, barriers to greater use), the voluntary nature of participation and the type of outcomes achieved. Author's abstract. Miers, David and et al. Polish Restorative justice and practice in Poland and Britain: Report of a British and Polish Academies' exchange initiative (International Co-operation on the Implementation of Restorative Justice in Poland and Great Britain). This Report has been compiled from the activities that have been organised as part of a three-year project funded by the British Academy and the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its purpose is to exchange information and experience about the use and effects of restorative justice and victim-offender mediation for both adult and juvenile offending. The Report includes reflections on Polish practice, and papers given by Polish and British experts. It is intended to inform colleagues (in whatever capacity) working with restorative justice and victim offender mediation of developments within Poland and Great Britain. The project is set in the broader context of the various European developments that have taken place over the past decade. Articles 10 and 17 of The European Union’s Framework Decision on the Standing of Victims in Criminal Proceedings, which oblige Member States to adapt their legislation in order to promote victim-offender mediation by March 2006, is of particular relevance. The Polish criminal justice system’s responses to crime are, in the case of restorative justice interventions, less well developed than in Great Britain. From the Polish perspective, the principal objective of this research proposal is to gather information about the design and delivery of such interventions for the purpose of informing their own initiatives. Restorative Practices and Reoffending Recently, a short article in The Report (1) questioned Canada's use and support of restorative justice programmes. The article quoted a claim in the May issue of Canadian Lawyer that after five years of use there was no proof that restorative justice programmes work. However, recent research has demonstrated that restorative justice programs do in fact reduce recidivism. Restorative Justice Theory and Practice: Mind the Gap! Theo Gavrielides, a researcher at the London School of Economics, recently completed a qualitative investigation of possible discrepancies between the implementation of restorative justice practices and the development of restorative justice theory. Transforming Attitudes Towards Offending The Sycamore Tree Project® is an in-prison programme bringing unrelated victims and offenders together for conversations about crime. The programme allows them to reflect together on the consequences of crime and the steps needed to address the harm that has resulted. Jenny Aguliar and Marilyn Peterson Armour and Crystal Taub and Jenny Aguliar and Liliane Cambraia Windsor and Marilyn Peterson Armour. A Pilot Study of a Faith-Based Restorative Justice Intervention for Christian and Non-Christian Offenders As prison populations continue to rise, faith-based and restorative justice programs show promise in influencing offenders' internal motivations and external behaviors. Using a one-group, pretest-posttest design, this pilot study found significant change in offenders' (n=102) moral motivations (empathy, perspective taking, forgiveness, proneness to forgive, daily spiritual experiences, and relationships with others) after their self-selected participation in a 14-week faith-based program that draws from the principles of restorative justice. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine the impact of reported subscription to Christianity on pretests and score changes. At pre-test, Christian participants (n = 66) were more likely to forgive than non-Christian participants (n = 33) who conversely were more likely to see the perspectives of others, Christian offenders had significantly higher change scores on perspective taking and empathic concern than non-Christian participants. Findings have implications for the use of faithbased programs and victim-centered curriculums to change offenders' moral motivations and for matching faith-based Christian programs with Christian participants. . Preliminary evaluation of behavioural outcomes in a corrections-based victim awareness program for offenders. This article follows up on an earlier study that found significant improvements in three of four knowledge and sensitivity factors measured in offenders who participated in an impact of crime on victims “victim awareness” program. The current study investigated behavioral outcomes in a similar study population, namely disciplinary infractions that occurred while participants continued their incarceration. Findings indicated that African-American adult males in the treatment group exhibited significantly fewer A-level (most serious) disciplinary problems than did their comparison group counterparts, while all other subgroup comparisons did not yield such significant differences. This result, although limited to one subgroup, remains both interesting and useful given that African-American males are typically overrepresented in correctional populations and given the seriousness of the offenses at issue here. Reducing the frequency of serious infractions, and therefore these additional victimizations, is critical to the safety of both inmates and correctional officers. (abstract courtesy of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.gov). Miers, David and et al. Exploratory Evaluation of Restorative Justice Schemes This report presents the results of a 15-month study of the effectiveness of seven British restorative justice (RJ) schemes conducted between December 1999 and June 2000, two of them dealing primarily with adult offenders and the other five with juveniles. The objectives of the research were to identify which elements, or which combination of elements, in RJ schemes were most effective in reducing crime and at what costs, as well as to provide recommendations on the content of and best practice for schemes to be mainstreamed. Following an initial feasibility study, fieldwork for the main body of the research began in December 1999. The main elements of the fieldwork were the collection of descriptive information about the schemes' status, history, philosophy, policies, and practices; and the collection and analysis of process and output data about the practical operation of schemes, the impacts of the schemes, data relevant to measuring outcomes, and data relevant to the determination of cost-effectiveness. The schemes evaluated were diverse in their understanding of the notion of "restorative Justice," their degree of focus on victims and offenders, and their implementation of the interventions which they undertook. The schemes were also fragile in being vulnerable to funding cuts, and they were often dependent on intensive labor commitments by small numbers of exceptionally committed individuals. Even at the times when they were receiving substantial numbers of referrals, most schemes made unambiguously "restorative" interventions in relatively few cases. Victims who had experienced some form of restorative justice were broadly favorable toward the concept, appreciating the opportunity to express their views and experience some restoration based on offender action. . Do victim impact programs reduce recidivism for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated? Findings from an outcomes evaluation. In victim impact panels, persons convicted of driving while intoxicated are confronted by survivors of accidents caused by drunk drivers. The objective is to reduce the number of subsequent convictions by increasing empathy with victims and increasing awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of drinking and driving. Participation in a victim impact course was not found to consistently reduce reoffending in a sample of persons convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. More specifically, program participants were just as likely to reoffend as non-participants and sometimes more likely. (author's abstract) Document Actions Send this Print this	Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East North America and Caribbean Pacific Search 10530 publications on restorative justice Recent RJOB Comments conference May 07, 2012 conference May 07, 2012 Agreement to participate May 04, 2012 More… Slide Show: What is Restorative Justice Click to view a slideshow discussing the definition of restorative justice. May 25, 2012 Project Myriam celebrates 10 years May 24, 2012 InnerChange Freedom Initiative Celebrating 15 years Apr 25, 2012 Sycamore Tree Programme from Prison Fellowship England and Wales Apr 13, 2012 PF Swaziland volunteer brings victims and offenders together Apr 13, 2012 PF Nicaragua providing legal services for prisoners