November 2006 Edition
Restorative Justice for Juveniles and Adults in Thailand
In 2004, Thailand introduced restorative conferencing as a response to juvenile offending. This approach has subsequently been expanded for use in domestic violence cases and with adult offenders through the Department of Probation. In this article, Wanchai Roujanavong, Director General of the Department of Probation, describes the introduction of restorative justice into Thailand, its legislative support, and outcomes to date.
Restorative Justice and Victim Offender Mediation in Romania
With encouragement from the European Union and the advocacy work of academics and civil society organizations, Romania is beginning to use victim offender mediation as an alternative to court processes in some cases. This article, drawn from an article by Dr. Doina Balahur, summarizes the recent Romanian legislation related to restorative justice. The complete article is attached.
Nominate an Organization for the 2007 International Prize for Restorative Justice
The Centre for Justice and Reconciliation at Prison Fellowship International has announced that it will award the third International Prize for Restorative Justice in July 2007.
Book Review: Victims of crime and community justice
In his recent book, Brian Williams gives an account of the current state of assistance to victims in the United Kingdom, with comparisons to developments abroad. The book also includes a helpful discussion of the development of victim assistance over the past three decades. Here is Martin Wright's review of the book.
Video Review: Pathways to Permanence: Introduction to Mediation, Family Group Conferencing, and Concurrent Planning.
Child protection cases are frequently addressed in adversarial court processes concentrating on family weaknesses. They can result in children spending years in foster care. This introductory video explores alternatives to this court-based approach, including family group conferencing and mediation.
Website of the Month: VORP of Boulder County
The Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) of Boulder County has offered restorative justice services to Boulder County, Colorado since 1993. This website presents descriptions of the organization's programmes.
