Revisiting Informal Justice

Restorative Justice and Democratic Professionalism

Bibliographic Data

ID4085089
AuthorsSusan M Olson, Albert W Dzur (0000-0001-8855-9068)
Year2004
Volume38
Issue1
Pages139-176
Publication date2004-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLaw & Society Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0023-9216 • E-ISSN: 1540-5893
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/j.0023-9216.2004.03801005.x
OpenAlexW2132298735
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited31

Restorative justice is a form of informal justice growing rapidly among criminal justice practitioners. It decenters the focus of criminal justice from the offender breaking a law of the state to the harm caused the victim and community. Resolution is said to come from offenders taking responsibility and making amends for the harm done and from communities supporting the victim and providing offenders with opportunities and skills to reintegrate as contributing members.Restorative justice theory largely ignores the role of professionals in the criminal justice process, and yet professionals have played a dominant part in initiating many restorative justice programs. Several theoretical traditions recognize professionals as being important intermediaries between citizens and the state. The theory of democratic professionalism argues that professionals can play crucial roles in increasing and improving democratic participation in public affairs. This article examines two functioning restorative justice programs to flesh out what democratic professionalism might look like in operation-what tasks professionals perform and what citizen involvement means to the professionals. We argue that restorative justice cannot get along without professionals and that democratic professionalism may help restorative justice to avoid some of the problems associated with other approaches to informal justice by increasing true community participation but balancing it with concern for individuals' rights

Criminal justice · Criminology · Democracy · Economic Justice · Harm · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Restorative justice · Sociology · Theory of criminal justice · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Law · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub