Changing punishment at the turn of the century: Restorative justice on therise

This paper examines the implications of the rise of restorative justice in criminal justice practice and discourse and whether a unified approach to c riminal justice based on restorative justice is desirable or possible. Pure and partial theories of restorative justice are examined with an emphasis on the relation between restorative and retributive theories of justice. Th e author examines the hypothesis that restorative justice could contribute to a process of net widening. Concluding that popular ideas In criminal jus tice will by definition mean different things to different people, the auth or explores different approaches to restorative justice including those whi ch stress the accountability of offenders, the rehabilitation of offenders and the crime prevention effects of restorative justice. The author also ex amines the various constituencies of restorative justice including the priv ate or quasi-public sector criminal justice professionals, crime victims, w omen and aboriginal peoples. The relation between restorative justice and t he criminalization of politics is also assessed with special attention to t he relation between restorative and aboriginal justice and the larger decol onialization project. The author concludes with some thoughts on the causes of the rise and the possible fall of restorative justice.