The concept of Restorative Justice revolves around the desirability of re-integrating the offender (for our purposes, the juvenile offender) back into the community in such a way as to lessen the likelihood of re-offending. Restorative Justice seeks to build accommodation among the juvenile offender, the victim (if there is one) and the community. All three parties have to “buy in” to the process in order for it to work. And by the term “work” we mean reducing recidivism.
This would appear on its face to be a noble effort. The question is: Does it work? Restorative Justice techniques are now being implemented by various communities, schools, Police Departments, and the juvenile courts. The State of Vermont, for example, has done much in this area. Your assignment here is to familiarize yourself with programs such as Vermont’s “Restorative Justice Panels.” How do they operate? Do they work for juveniles? Where do they fall short, if in fact they do? What suggestions might you propose to improve the operation of these Panels for juveniles? You may wish to review the proposed program set out in your text, at the end of Chapter 5, under the heading of “Viewpoint.”
Assume for the purposes of this exercise that you are an expert in juvenile justice and have been asked by the powers that be for your opinion and recommendations. How would you evaluate the (1) desirability, and (2) the effectiveness of such programs in particular, and in the concept of Restorative Justice in general. In other words, is it worth the effort?