ABSTRACT
Chapter Six examines the proleptic function of the restorative justice ritual and considers another prominent critique of restorative justice, namely, that the process focuses on making amends at an interpersonal level, but fails to address larger, structural injustices that are often the driving forces behind criminal activity. This chapter argues that while restorative justice certainly needs to do more to address larger structural inequities, the restorative justice conference itself does play an important role by providing a temporary experience of a more just social order, producing a model of what is possible in pursuing a wider social justice agenda. Viewed through a ritual lens, the ritual of restorative justice may be seen as subversive of the way the mainstream system reinforces the hegemony of powerful groups in society and as constituting a form of justice that foreshadows a more desirable kind of society toward which to strive. This has ultimately given rise to a larger restorative social movement.
