Restorative Justice and Conferencing in Australia

• NCJ Number: 188544
• Author(s): Kathleen Daly; Hennessey Hayes
• Date Published: February 2001
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Australian Institute of Criminology, Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 186

Annotation

This report outlines recent developments in restorative justice and family conferencing in Australia and summarizes research findings to date.

Abstract

The discussion notes that restorative justice encompasses a variety of practices at different stages of the criminal process. These practices include diversion from court prosecution, actions taken in parallel with court decisions, and meetings between victims and offenders at any stage of the criminal process. Most Australian jurisdictions have introduced legislation incorporating conferencing in their responses to youth crime. Most statutory-based programs favor conference models that are not operated by the police. The most consistent finding from the research to date is that participants regard the process as fair and are satisfied with the process and outcomes. However, many more questions than answers currently exist regarding this emerging form of justice. Chart and 20 references