ABSTRACT
Restorative justice focuses upon the harm caused to individual victims and the community while emphasizing the importance of engaging key stakeholders (victims, community and offenders) in the process of developing a restorative response to the crime (Bazemore and Umbreit 1994, 1995; Van Ness and Strong 1997; Zehr 1990). Restorative justice theory is having an increasing impact upon communities, and even entire justice systems, throughout North America, Europe and the South Pacific (Alder and Wundeersitz 1994; Bazemore and Walgrave 1999; Galaway and Hudson 1996; Hudson et al. 1996; Messmer and Otto 1992; Umbreit 1998; Umbreit and Stacey 1996; Umbreit and Zehr 1996; Wright and Galaway 1989).
