Summary
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Restorative justice should not be viewed as a panacea for victims. It is no substitute for an active and aggressive victims' movement and no substitute for individual victims and advocacy groups monitoring and questioning whether policies and practices implemented in their name in fact serve their interests. Restorative justice provides victims with a rationale for persuading criminal justice professionals: services that meet their needs ultimately also serve the best interests of communities and offenders. The focus group process, modified to include other juvenile justice professionals, can be an effective tool for opening a dialogue between these professionals and the victims' community, for assessing current practices and support for reform and planning systemic reform initiatives. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, ww.ncjrs.org.
