Handbook on Restorative justice programmes

HANDBOOK ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMMES

---

The objective of this handbook was to provide for the reader, in a clear
and concise fashion, an overview of the key issues involved in the design
and implementation of restorative justice programmes. The United
Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Restorative Justice Programmes in
Criminal Matters provided the backdrop for the discussion. These princi-
ples are premised on an approach in which restorative justice programmes
are most appropriately, and effectively, developed within existing criminal
justice systems. It is recognized, however, that restorative justice pro-
grammes may also build upon traditional, community-based justice
structures and processes. A key theme in the handbook is that the princi-
ples and practices of restorative justice can be adapted to the specific
requirements of individual jurisdictions and communities.
Specific chapters in the handbook address the various types of restorative
justice programmes, the need to establish legislative and regulatory guide-
lines for restorative practices, the key participants in restorative pro-
grammes, the various dimensions of programme operations, and the need
to provide for programme monitoring and evaluation.
Throughout the handbook, examples were used to highlight the dynamics
of restorative justice practice in various jurisdictions and communities
around the world. These examples should only be taken as illustrative,
indicating the ways in which justice systems and communities have
applied the principles of restorative justice to address the needs of victims,
offenders, their families and the community as a whole. The possibilities
for applying the principles of restorative justice are limited only by the
89
Conclusion

---

90
imagination and creativity of criminal justice professionals, civil society
organizations and community members. 
The experience of stakeholder groups across the globe is that restorative
justice programmes hold considerable potential to more effectively
address, and repair, the harm done by criminal offending. At the same
time, restorative justice programmes can provide crime victims with a
more powerful voice, criminal offenders with the opportunity to acknowl-
edge responsibility for their behaviour and receive the assistance they
require to address their particular needs, and communities with a more
effective strategy to not only respond to crime but to develop and
strengthen their conflict prevention and resolution capacity. 
Restorative justice is not a “one size fits all” approach to crime. As such, it
continues to evolve and assume new forms as governments and communi-
ties implement restorative justice principles in a manner that most effec-
tively meets the needs of crime victims, offenders and community
residents. A measure of the success of the restorative approach is that it
has spawned many different types of programmes and processes. It is
hoped that the materials in this handbook will assist governments and
communities in their consideration and implementation of restorative jus-
tice programmes.