....First, the results showed that there were positive changes in participants’ psychological health from program commencement to program completion. In this regard, these findings are consistent with past research. This study extended the available research by examining over a dozen specific psychological health items (e.g., anger, fear, shame/guilt, depression, etc.) – all indicators where RJ facilitators had reported changes in past clientele. Decreases were noted on all these variables and when the various items were summed through the Psychological Health Checklist (PsC), decreases in score from preprogram to post-program were noted for 84.8% (n = 78) of participants. Eleven percent (10.9%; n = 10) of participants exhibited no change from pre-program to post-program; however, it should be noted that these participants all had low scores at commencement (meaning few problems). Specifically, 90% (n = 9) of the no-change group had scores of five or less and 50% (n = 5) had scores of one or less. In addition, there were no significant differences between victims and offenders – they both exhibited positive changes over the course of the program.

Interestingly, a significant difference was found between participants who experienced a victim-offender meeting and those who did not, with meeting participants scoring lower on the PsC at both pre-program and post-program. It could be that participants who experienced a higher degree of psychological health symptoms (e.g., upset) did not want to add the potential stress or anxiousness associated with a meeting. RJ proponents would argue that it is precisely these participants who would benefit the most from an encounter. Participants who experienced a victim-offender meeting were compared to those who did not, and there were no significant differences in psychological health change.

....The results indicated that there were positive changes in participants’ physical health, as measured by the indicators, from pre-program to post-program. Although there were fewer indicators pertaining to physical health (6 items compared to 15 items for psychological health), over forty percent (41.3%, n = 38) of participants exhibited no physical health indicators at pre-program, and this increased to 56.5% (n = 52) at post-program. It was therefore not surprising that 45.7% (n = 42) of participants did not exhibit any change in the physical health indicators from pre-program to post-program, though 36.9% (n = 34) did exhibit positive change (i.e., a decrease in number of indicators as reflected by a decrease in PhC total score).

Victims and offenders were compared on the various physical health indicators. We found that there was a significant difference between victims and offenders on only one item, “illegal drug use”. This was not a surprising result. Interestingly, one offender increased the level of alcohol and drug use from preprogram to post-program. While this result pertained to only one offender, and it may be a spontaneous, unrelated change, it would not be unexpected to see this type of result again. Past research has found that offenders describe the RJ process as very difficult, with the meeting being the most difficult part. It is possible that the increase is reflective of a coping mechanism for these offenders. Overall, for the 58.7% (n = 54) of participants who exhibited at least one physical health problem at preprogram, 63.0% (n = 34) exhibited a positive change and 20.4% (n = 11) exhibited no change in the number of physical health symptoms from pre-program to post-program.

(Citations were omitted.) Read the whole study.