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Summary

Morris, Allison and Warren Young (2000). "Reforming Criminal Justice: The Potential of Restorative Justice." In, Heather Strang and John Braithwaite, eds., Restorative Justice: Philosophy and Practice. Dartmouth: Ashgate. Pp. 11-31.

Morris and Young contrast the conventional criminal justice system with the possibilities of a restorative justice system. This comparison, however, goes beyond the stark dichotomies often seen to compare research and actual procedures. The essay is broken in segments addressing first the experiences of victims and then offenders. They discuss the effectiveness of both in achieving specific goals. The assessments point out the potential of restorative justice while maintaining a balanced approach to pitfalls. Morris and Young also discuss seven critiques of restorative justice including ‘lack of proportionality’, ‘failing to deter’, and ‘perpetuating power imbalance’, with a discussion of both the goals and the realities of both systems.

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