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Summary

Maxwell, Gabrielle and Morris, Allison (2000). "Family group conferences and reoffending" In Restorative justice for juveniles: Conferencing, mediation and circles, ed. Allison Morris and Gabrielle Maxwell, 243-263. With a foreword by DJ Carruthers. Oxford: Hart Publishing.

In this chapter Maxwell and Morris report their research findings on the impact of family group conferences in New Zealand on juvenile reoffending. They begin by reviewing methodological issues in measuring reoffending and the results of previous studies of reoffending and conferences. From this they elaborate a distinct approach to the assessment of reoffending, an approach based on their development of a model for understanding reoffending. Using statistics and interpretation, Maxwell and Morris detail their research results in the following categories: aspects of conferences that reduce reoffending; factors that predict reoffending; and pathways to reoffending. They conclude that family group conferencing can contribute to lessening the chance of reoffending, but they point to the need for further research in this area.

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