Crime, Punishment, and Restorative Justice

Book excerpt: Can restorative justice be applied to a full range of offenses? Ross London answers with an unequivocal "Yes." London proposes that, by focusing on the restoration of personal and social trust, restoration may become acknowledged as the overarching goal of all criminal justice policies and practices. While supporting the use of restorative justice as a non-punitive alternative for appropriate cases, London argues that deserved punishment for serious offenses--far from contradicting the goal of restoration--may be instrumental for the emotional recovery of crime victims, the security of communities, and for the successful reintegration of offenders. Moreover, this approach responsibly minimizes resort to punishment by maximizing all of the many other means of restoring trust. Drawing on his experience as a judge, prosecutor, and public defender, London offers a pragmatic vision of restorative justice that integrates its core values with real-world applications for even the most serious violent crimes.