ABSTRACT
Introduction Although restorative policing was not a deliberate experiment in applying restorative justice to policing practice, it has subsequently (and with good reason) become embedded within the broader discourse on restorative justice.1 But what is restorative justice/restorative policing and how does it work in practice? These are misleadingly simple questions because they imply that a straightforward answer can and should be provided. The reality, however, is that restorative justice is a contested concept and so any answer that is given needs to acknowledge this problematic context. In seeking to develop a definition of restorative policing and a framework through which restorative policing might be understood, the nuances within the existing literature on restorative justice are therefore important. As such, we begin this chapter by reviewing two aspects of the restorative justice literature. The first involves efforts to define restorative justice. Some would argue that such an exercise has been futile, as no consensus on the issue has been reached. However, understanding what restorative justice is and being able to assess the ‘restorativeness’ of an initiative is important for a number of reasons. On the one hand, Aertsen (2009: 68) argues that: ‘Such conceptual clarity is needed, whether it is from the perspective of theory development, empirical research or reform of the police and/or criminal justice system.’ On the other, as Declan Roche explains:
To practitioners it may help critically inform the work they do. It may give practitioners ideas about how they can improve what they are doing. And even where practitioners’ actions already conform to restorative justice principles, practitioners may benefit by becoming more self-conscious and deliberate about what they do.
