Restorative Justice Dialogue: A Multi‐Dimensional, Evidence‐Based Practice Theory

Abstract

Restorative justice in the 21st century is a social movement that has moved far beyond its humble and rather marginal beginnings in North America and Europe more than a quarter of a century ago. Today restorative justice policies and practices are developing throughout the world in diverse cultural and national settings, with recent endorsements by the European Union and the United Nations. While still not the mainstream in any nation, restorative justice has clearly moved beyond the margins of social change in many locations and is beginning to enter the mainstream of criminal justice policy. The oldest, most widely used, and empirically grounded expression of this movement is restorative justice dialogue through victim–offender mediation, group conferencing, and peacemaking circles. These and related practices in which victims, offenders, support people, and other community participants have opportunities to enter into dialogue with each other to foster healing and the repair of harm represent the movement’s foundation, upon which many other restorative practices and policies are developing. This article describes the underlying characteristics of authentic restorative justice dialogue, including specific indicators of its presence. The article provides assistance to practitioners and policymakers who seek to address issues of program development, evaluation, and measurement.

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