NCJ Number
225352
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 455-472
Date Published
December 2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Using a variety of qualitative research methods, this study examined the organizational features (political, structural, and cultural features) of one of England’s youth offending teams (YOTs), in order to identify factors involved in translating the concepts of restorative justice into practice.
Abstract
The analysis determined that the interaction of politics, organizational structure, and organizational culture undermined the ability of the YOT to implement restorative justice practices. Although restorative justice currently has no standardized package of policies and practices, restorative justice programs have three core components: the inclusion and empowerment of all involved parties, primarily the victim, offender, and affected members of the community; the use of participatory and deliberative processes; and an emphasis on outcomes that rehabilitate the offender and remedy the harms to victims. Although restorative justice practices have increasingly been emphasized by the youth justice system in England, the organizational features of the YOT studied are geared toward pushing cases through the system rather than designing and implementing effective but often time-consuming restorative justice work with the youth under its charge. Political pressures and structural restrictions have chained YOTs to priorities of efficient more than effective case management. This has contributed to an organizational culture of cynicism and apathy. An improvement in YOT practices requires the identification and resolution of stresses that currently impair YOTs. The Home Office should focus on pilot programs of a few restorative justice projects that can be implemented with the funding and planning needed to create an effective model for YOT organization and functioning. This study was conducted over a period of 17 months between 2002 and 2004. Its qualitative approach used techniques that included observation, interviewing, and case file analysis. 1 figure, 11 notes, and 40 references