Summary
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The article discusses three models of judicial response to crime: retributive, rehabilitative and restorative. In addition, it investigates restorative justice as an alternative paradigm for juvenile justice; community service as a sanction within the restorative justice paradigm; a research project on the juridical status of restorative community service; and the proportionality of community service in Belgian juvenile justice. The article calls for further research on restorative principles and conscious implementation strategies. Reflection on socio-ethical, philosophical and legal theory must be further developed in order to construct a coherent paradigm of restorative justice which can serve as a frame of reference to ensure correct application in practice and to guide experimentation with appropriate methods and techniques. The final goal is not development of a rigid rating schedule of restorative sanctions, but achievement of a "reasonable restoration". Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.
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