Dr. Gabrielle Maxwell has done extensive research and writing on restorative justice initiatives in New Zealand with her colleague Allison Morris.

Their research has addressed topics such as: understanding reoffending, the role of youth advocates in restorative justice conferences, Maori culture and restorative justice, the role of victims in family group conferences. and an evaluation of community panel pre-trial diversion pilots in New Zealand.  Current projects concern achieving effective outcomes in youth justice, the role of police in youth diversion, and pilot restorative justice programs in adult courts.

Gabrielle is currently Senior Research Fellow in Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington. She and Allison manage a research group within the Institute of Criminology at the University.  Gabrielle has previously undertaken research as an employee of the Office of the Commissioner for Children in Wellington, the New Zealand Department of Justice and as a member of the Psychology Department at the University of Otago, Dunedin.  

She is a core member of the International Network for Research on Restorative Justice for Juveniles and of the International Committee on Juvenile Justice for Defence for Children International.  She provides policy advice to government agencies both within New Zealand and internationally.  

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Research on family group conferences demonstrates that they can contribute to lessening the chance of reoffending even when other important factors such as adverse early experiences and subsequent life events are taken into account. 

Critical factors for young people are having a conference that is memorable, not being made to feel a bad person, feeling involved in the conference decision-making, agreeing with the conference outcome, completing the tasks agreed to, feeling sorry for what they had done, meeting the victim and apologizing to him/her, and feeling that they had repaired the damage. 

These factors reflect key restorative values, processes and outcomes.

(from 'Family Group Conferences and Reoffending' by G. Maxwell and A. Morris in Restorative Justice for Juveniles, A. Morris and G. Maxwell (eds.) Hart 2001).

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Leading Edge.  One of Gabrielle's current interests has to do with effective practice.  The State is responsible for ensuring that children and young people are provided the protections and opportunities guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.  In addition, the state should seek to prevent offending by those at risk  and reoffending by those who have already offended.  A major goal of her current research is to determine how those acting on behalf of the state can fulfill this responsibility.

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Reach Gabrielle Maxwell at gabrielle.maxwell@vuw.ac.nz

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