ABSTRACT
This chapter is partly based on the ALTERNATIVE research programme conducted by Ulster University in Northern Ireland. This was an EU FP7 funded research study involving six European countries into the contribution of restorative justice to justice and security in conflicts in an intercultural context. Part of the research studied the participation of prisoners and ex-prisoners who had been involved in the conflict in Northern Ireland in restorative practice training as a means of addressing non-violence and of reintegrating ex-combatants within their communities. The chapter examines the problems of engaging politically motivated prisoners in rehabilitation and education and offers an alternative approach. It reports on how the prisoners were engaged, how the project progressed and what was learnt from the experience. It concludes that the principles and practices of restorative justice can contribute to the reintegration of ex-combatants as active citizens in their communities.
