By Barb Toews. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. ISBN:1561485233.


The Little Book of Restorative Justice for People in Prison is one of a series of short books designed to provide readers with quick, easy to understand discussions of issues related to restorative justice and peacemaking. In this 91 page volume, Barb Toews discusses restorative justice from the point of view of someone working with incarcerated people.

She discusses restorative justice theory and practices, meeting the justice needs of all those affected by crime, and the place of restorative justice in the prison setting.

Noting that restorative justice philosophy focuses on relationships, she discusses the web of relationships that surrounds each of us. She explains the damage caused by crime and the impact on the entire web of relationships surrounding an individual. That impact continues as the matter proceeds through the criminal justice system.

Toews suggests that there are a variety of justice needs: relationship and safety, empowerment, storytelling and venting feelings, information, growth, accountability, and meaning. These needs are experienced by victims and their families, community members, and offenders and their families. For each of these the actions taken to meet their justice needs will be different, but a community committed to restorative justice will work to meet those needs in ways that are meaningful for the individuals.

Chapter 10 discusses restorative practices. Toews covers each of the prototypical practices associated with restorative justice: mediation, conferencing and circles. She also describes levels of restorative practice:

• Socially restorative practices respond to the needs of all those affected by crime in one response while opening the door to addressing underlying causes of crime.
• Relationally restorative practices meet the needs of two sets of stakeholders affected by crime.
• Individually restorative practices focus solely on the needs of one individual affected by crime.

In chapter 11, Toews discusses restorative justice in the prison setting, including the  development of new programmes and adaptation of those already in existence.

Chapter 12 focuses on ‘living restoratively’ in prison. Toews identifies six actions of ‘restorative living’:

• Get on the healing path
• Embrace restorative values
• Create a sanctuary
• Walk with those who offend
• Walk with victims
• Walk with offender’s families

Inset boxes throughout the chapter provide ideas for undertaking each of these actions.

The Little Book of Restorative Justice for People in Prison provides a unique look at the philosophy and practice of restorative justice.  The publisher provides a study guide for the book online at http://www.goodbks.com/studyguides/1561485233.pdf.


Lynette Parker
February 2007