Book Review: The Pocket Guide to Restorative Justice

By Peter Wallis and Barbara Tudor. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-84310-629-6. 2008.

The authors, both working with restorative justice issues in England, approach the subject matter from an operational viewpoint. After providing an overview of restorative justice theory and principles – especially as they apply to the work of facilitators – they turn to issues such as when to accept a referral, how to make contact with participants, deciding on the appropriateness of a restorative meeting, and conducting the meeting. They offer clear and direct guidance on the many issues and steps that go into facilitating a successful restorative encounter.

Each chapter deals with a different step in the process with the inclusion of an overview of institutions specific to the English context. Chapters include:

• Getting Started
• Contacting the Offender
• Contacting the Victim
• Assessment
• Agreement to Meet
• Preparing for the Meeting
• During the Meeting – Issues
• The Restorative Meeting
• Shuttle Mediation
• Referral Orders and Panels
• Recording and Evaluation

An appendix also provides a prompt sheet for conducting a restorative meeting.

Throughout the book, the authors provide practical guidance in the form of check lists and tip boxes. These include reminders not to accept a referral unless the facilitator can see the case all the way through and conduct his/her own preparation work. Lists include things to think about when contacting participants; issues related to multi-cultural communication, precautions to take when meeting with participants in their homes or other location, and items to bring to a restorative meeting. These provide useful tools for thinking about the interactions with and situations of each of those participating in the restorative meeting.

During each step in the process, the authors encourage facilitators to examine their own conduct to understand where they are coming from and what they are communicating with participants. In fact, self-awareness or the ability to step back and assess one’s own actions and motives is discussed as a principle of restorative justice processes. This is seen as facilitators are reminded to not speak for participants, coerce participants into participating, or impose an agenda or time frame on the participants. The authors are honest about the pressures and tensions that arise from both working within the criminal justice system and working with human beings who are at different stages in the journey of responding to victimisation and offending.

Originally developed “in response to many enquiries for a pocket-sized guide that can easily be taken on visits or carried into meetings (p. 11),” The Pocket Guide to Restorative Justice serves as a reminder of good practice principles for anyone working with restorative processes.


Lynette Parker
November 2008