ABSTRACT
The re-entry circle programme in Hawaii provides a facilitated group planning process for individual incarcerated people who meet with their invited loved ones, a prison staff member and other community or professional supporters. The re-entry circle applies public health learning principles that are inherent in both restorative justice and solution-focused brief therapy. It is commonly said that restorative justice requires offenders to take responsibility for their actions and for the harm they have caused. According to John Braithwaite, restorative justice as an accountability innovation has developed mostly as an experiment in re-democratising criminal law. Positive psychology and positive criminology are disciplines that can also support rehabilitation and complement restorative interventions. Restorative justice is more than only taking responsibility for past behaviours; it is also about taking active responsibility for solutions to problems. Restorative justice is a solution-focused approach. It developed in response to the failure of mainstream justice systems to deal with injustice.
