Restorative Justice Agency - Research Paper Example

Name: xxxxxxxxxxx Institution: xxxxxxxxxxx Course: xxxxxxxxxxx Title: A Restorative Justice Agency Tutor: xxxxxxxxxxx @ 2009 Table of content Introduction 3 Project Background 3 Aims of the Restorative Justice Agency 5 Literature review 6 Developing a restorative justice agency 9 Reviewing relevant literature, reports and research 10 Recruitment and Networking 12 Training and community awareness 13 Operation models of the agency 14 Community restorative conferencing 15 Restorative circles 16 In the operation model of the agency restorative circles will be established for offenders who have been subjected to imprisonment in order for them to be incorporated back into the society as law abiding citizens. For instance, these circles will incorporate Aboriginal offenders who were subsequently convicted for substance abuse, burglary and various forms of assault. These restorative circles will offer an appropriate base for victims to experience healing. Circles of support accountability and healing make up restorative circles. Circles of accountability, support and healing play a great role in empowering the victims and reducing the chances of reoffending. These restorative justice processes are highly recommended due to their evidence based practice that has demonstrated aptitude in enhancing safe integration of offenders in to the community and the empowerment of victims (PFI 2009). 16 Victim -offender mediation 16 Sentencing circles 17 Community Restorative Boards 18 Institutional Practices 19 Membership and Ethical Standards 19 Limitations of the agency 20 Possible Solutions and recommendations 21 Conclusion 22 Bibliography 24 A Restorative justice agency Introduction This paper describes the provision and development of a community based restorative justice agency with a suitable response to crime and anti-social behavior. The restorative justice agency that is to be established revolves around a community that has a high number of traditional Aboriginals people from more than two groups. This paper will also describe how the model of service delivery in this agency safe guards its membership and upholds training and ethical standards. Moreover, this paper will identify the pitfalls that are bound to counter the operations of this agency and their possible solutions. Additionally, it will indicate how this restorative justice agency aims on reducing the widening net of young people towards the criminal justice systems. Project Background Indigenous Australian groups such as the Aboriginals and the Torres Straits Islanders make up 3% percent of the Australian population. It is alleged that these groups are vulnerable to particular crimes. According to the Australian Bureau of crime statistics and research, the indigenous Australian communities were identified per capacitor as the more likely perpetrators and victims of crime. In comparison to the non-indigenous groups, the indigenous communities were twice as likely to be perpetrators and victims of violence and aggression(Lawrence 2007). Furthermore, the rate of the imprisoned indigenous groups was twice over that of the non-indigenous groups. The over representation of Aboriginal groups in the Australian criminal and justice systems is also evident with youths being identified as the most vulnerable group. A similar research study also pointed out that despite the fact that the Aboriginals make up 3% of the Australian population 20% of the crimes committed in Western Australia are perpetrated by them. Common crimes in this community include robbery, substance abuse, sexual offences and assaults (Atkinson 1990). One of the significant social problems in Australia lies in the over representation of the young indigenous people in the criminal and justice systems. The recent juvenile report shows that the number young indigenous people in detention facilities are 21 times more than the non-indigenous young people. Despite the fact that substantial efforts have been executed in order to minimize this over representation little has been achieved towards this regard. It is worth noting that when addressing crime issues the plight of the victims should not be neglected. In a bid to address the plight of the crime victims and combat the trends of crimes in this community a restorative justice agency is needed. In this essay the restorative justice agency that is to be established will be referred to as the Aboriginal restorative justice agency (Lawrence 2007). The model of restorative justice is a progressive and constructive model of responding to crime. The approaches used in the restorative justice processes comprise of retributive and therapeutic models of justice. The main proponents of restorative justice processes include, community restorative conferencing, victim -offender mediation and restorative circles among many other proponents. These processes provide a platform whereby both the victims and offenders can actively participate in the process of justice and reconciliation. Evidently, restorative justice systems have proved to be effective in the enhancement of reconciliation and crime prevention. Moreover, restorative justice processes empower the lives of ordinary people who have been affected by crime, these processes also repair and strengthen relationships (McCold & Wachtel 2003). Aims of the Restorative Justice Agency The aims of this restorative justice agency are geared towards the healing of crime victims and restoring the perpetrators of crimes to law abiding citizens in the Aboriginal community. Given the fact that this community is characterized by various forms of crime and anti social behavior the agency will need to involve both the victims and offenders by giving them opportunities to be involved in the process of restoration. The agency is also faced with the task of reducing the widening net of young people towards the criminal justice systems. This agency will aim at empowering victims to be involved in the mediation process so as to restore the relationships in the community that have been affected as a result of crime and anti social behaviors. A preventive response towards crime is an imperative goal of the Aboriginal restorative justice agency. The agency will strive to understand the various forms of crimes in their social contexts. It will seek to examine the root causes of particular crimes so as to break the viscous cycles of these crimes. Subsequently, a course of actions will be developed in order to remedy the factors that contribute to crime. The agency seeks to recognize that healing is imperative not only for the victims but also for the offenders. Therefore, its aims will revolve around the rehabilitation of offenders and their integration in the community as law abiding citizens (Morris 2002). The execution of justice is a core aim of this agency nonetheless the agency will refrain from being punitive. This agency will seek to incorporate both retributive and therapeutic models of justice so as to ensure that the needs of the both the victims and the offenders are realized fairly. In addition the procedure in this process will seek to accentuate on the need to protect the public and rehabilitate the offenders. Literature review Research on restorative justice agencies suggests that effective models should be beneficial to the communities of interests, victims and offenders. Using Goulding and Steels (2007) approach in the book, “Developing, implementing and researching a communitarian model of restorative and transformative justice for adult offenders” prior to the establishment of a communitarian model of restorative justice it is imperative to ask how this agency can assist both victims and offenders of crime, how does the community feel about the process, how issues can be resolved, what actions should be taken and who are going to be involved. Therefore, the communitarian restorative justice agency should focus on rehabilitation and treatment of both the offenders and the victims through a combination of restorative and therapeutic processes. The restoration of social relationships needs to be given priority in the undertakings of the restorative justice agency. Effective rehabilitative options that incorporate broad multi-faceted approaches that are geared towards bring behavioral transformation in the lifestyle of the offender should as well be incorporated in the agency (Newburn 2007). Drawing on the Prison Fellowship International (PFI) Model, restorative agencies need to foster a policy environment for the operation of good standards and practices. This can be actualized through autonomous committees that work in order to ensure that crime is averted and neutralization is reduced. The practices of restorative justice systems need to be flexible and creative in such way that they are able to counter the needs of both the victims and offenders. Restorative practices should focus on building social capitals that are aim at promoting social discipline through participatory decision-making and learning. This restorative agency needs to offers common threads that integrate research practices in fields such as criminal justice, counseling, organizational management and social work among many others. Unifying hypothesis in restorative justice systems should be geared towards producing fulfilled and productive individuals through the application of certain theoretical and practical frame works. The hypotheses in the applied theoretical and practical frameworks should acknowledge that both permissive and punitive modes are not as effective as restorative processes that use the engaging and participatory modes (McCold & Wachtel 2003). Principles and values need to be the core operating basis of an effective restorative justice agency. In the book “Integrating justice and restorative justice” Walgrave notes that healing is not only crucial for victims but also to the offenders therefore rehabilitation of both the victims and offenders is a crucial aspect of restorative justice agencies. Offenders should be treated with dignity and their needs should be addressed. Communitarian restorative justice agencies should use restrictions on the offenders as the last result (Walgrave 2000). The agencies should incorporate processes that provide a platform whereby the community, the victims and offenders are involved in the process of repairing the harm that was subjected to them with the help of professional facilitators. Each process should aim on enabling the participants to explore the arising issues in a structured way. There are a number of restorative justice model that can be incorporated by the agency counter specific circumstances and needs of the Aboriginal community. These models include community restorative conferencing, victim offender mediation, restorative circles and sentencing circles among many other models (Tyler 2006). Evidently, the criminal justice system in Western Australia lacks a restorative process that deals with crimes amongst the indigenous people. The collaboration of Steels and Goulding (2007) has given root to the development of a communitarian model of restorative justice. The western Australian justice system in regard to the over-representation of the Aboriginals in justice criminal systems is generally frustrating. These systems have failed to reduce victimization, they have also brought about a high level of dissatisfaction amongst the victims and the community at large. Victims of crime claim that the mainstream justice processes have ignored their plight moreover they are fearful for their general wellbeing. Over the course of time, a number of rehabilitative and education course have been given within the Aboriginal community, nevertheless it has become apparent that there are some difficulties in combating offending behavior due to the increasing rate of recidivism. Consequently, this ineffectiveness has caused great concern in criminal justice systems as it has become apparent that the Aboriginal community is producing more mad more crime victims. In response to this concern communitarian restorative justice agencies need to be established. These agencies accentuate on the need to acknowledge the impact of substantive and social injustices. Rather than simply giving the community a legal framework of countering various crime trends, communitarian restorative justice agencies accentuate on human rights approaches, thus restoring the security, respect and dignity of the victims. Most importantly these agencies show a sense of control by enhancing the responsibility of the offenders towards the crime that they have committed and the possible consequences. Within the context of an Aboriginal community with a high number of traditional people from more than one language group a communitarian restorative justice agency encourages sensitivity and cultural relativity instead of cultural dominance (Fitzgerald& Weatherburn 2001). Developing a restorative justice agency The establishment this restorative justice agency for the Aboriginal community takes into account a combination of community support social networks and international practices. The supportive social networks in the agency will seek to offer a platform whereby they can seek reparation, learn and take responsibility for their action. The models that will be incorporated by this agency involve both victims and offenders coming together with the help of support networks in community conference groups that will try to establish mutual solutions for the committed crimes. Reviewing relevant literature, reports and research The first step towards the establishment of this agency lies in conducting research by reviewing relevant literature, reports and other associated materials. Among the literature and reports reviewed include, court reports, books on establishing restorative justice agencies and the Aboriginal community among many other sources. From the review of relevant research and reports it was established that the Aboriginal indigenous community has over the course of time witnessed increased number of arrests and appearances in the western Australian criminal justice systems. Nonetheless, a restorative justice agency is bound to evolve out the Aboriginal cultural systems and assist in tackling social justice issues and establish an ability to counter anti social behavior. The research contexts also established that the capacity of building an effective restorative justice agency requires that the community should be imparted with pertinent information about the model and processes of this agency. The Social Justice and Native Title Report indicated that the government should take the responsibility of assisting the Aboriginal people to establish a capacity community that respects and values the collective identity , authority structures and the indigenous decision making processes. Sadly, this has not been the case for the Aboriginal community in Western Australia. The government has mainly focused on control and regulation rather than establishing the capacity of this community through good governance, self determination and economic advancement. Consequently, the Aboriginal community has remained vulnerable to massive overrepresentation in the Western Australia criminal justice systems (National Crime Prevention 1999). Community consultation The second step towards the establishment of this agency lies in conducting a community consultation forum. These forums will seek to identify the needs of the community in regard to frequent trends of crime and the plight of the victims. Community consultation is important in that it exposes the underlying issues that are only known by the members of this community. It is through the support of key individuals and groups in the Aboriginal community that this restorative justice agency will work effectively and counter the needs of this community. In the process of developing this agency organizations and individuals consulted include, magistrates, police prosecution branch, the Aboriginal legal services, church organizations, neighborhood organizations and domestic violence groups. The process of community consultation provided invaluable information about the Aboriginal community in regard to common trends of crime and the plight of the victims. Through the community consultation forums with the magistrates presiding over court cases and the police prosecution office I was able to establish that the common trends of crime in the Aboriginal community include, substance abuse, burglary, bodily and sexual assault among many other forms of crime. Common anti social behavior in this community include, discrimination, land displacement and oppression. The Aboriginal legal services reveled that the Aboriginal people are in most cases regarded as suspects and culprits of crime thus accentuating a characteristics of dangerousness. The recent focus of the public according the Aboriginal legal services has been on the need to punish offenders unfortunately the existing practices lack effective outcomes and processes as this process have failed both the victims and the community at large. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in Custody calls for changes as far as the relationship between the Aboriginal people and criminal justice systems is concerned (Hilde tubex & Houchin 2009). Further consultation with church and neighborhood organizations revealed that the issue of violence in the Aboriginal community requires a holistic approach therefore, focus should be laid on empowerment and healing. This will include addressing issues like poverty, education, employment, land right and health. Church organizations within the community advocate that violence in the Aboriginal community has to viewed in a wider lens, violence should be viewed with the context of breakdown of community kinship, intergenerational loss, displacements, economic exclusions, racism, entrenched poverty and oppression. Community Organizations suggested that the need of establishing local support groups that deal extensively with anti-social behavior and crime. These social support networks should be involve key fractions such as the Aboriginal legal services, Local Aboriginal Corporation, Employment and development programs and Court service among many other fractions. Moreover, it was established that a communitarian restorative approach was necessary to the aftermath of crime. These processes should be locally driven and sustained by the leadership at the grass-root level. Furthermore the support of the police and the justice systems would be invaluable in such a way that it would make the process reparative, inclusive and supportive to the plight of the victims. Recruitment and Networking The effective running of a restorative justice agency requires professional facilitators, trained volunteers and experienced personnel in the field of criminal justice and counseling. These personnel lay the foundations of operating the agency by empowering participation across the various models of the agency. Furthermore, some of the enlisted personnel will contribute to the agency by incorporating their skills in the decision making processes and final outcomes of the restorative justice processes. Key role players in the agency will include, decision makers, facilitators, counselors, personnel from the criminal justice departments, court personnel, relevant police departments, church groups and community based organizations. The recruitment process will seek to screen and select qualified personnel for the various positions in the agency by outsourcing from community and church organizations. In order to get experienced personnel in the field of criminal justice networking will be necessary. The agency will network with a number of criminal justice organizations in the Aboriginal community so as to secure personnel for the various operation models of the agency. Training and community awareness Training and creating awareness about the models and practices of the restorative justice agency is a fundamental step towards the establishment of a restorative justice agency in the Aboriginal community. Training sets the foundation for an effective implementation of restorative approaches across the spectrum of the Aboriginal community. With the aim of establishing a restorative agency in a community that has a high number of traditional Aboriginals people from more than two language groups training is essential. Subsequent to the recruitment of volunteers and other personnel training will be conducted with the aim of imparting necessary skills and knowledge in regard to the operation of the agency. The selected personnel will be trained on how to mediate between the offenders, victims and the community. In the course of the training sessions skills on how to explore the underlying issues in regard to crime in the Aboriginal community will as well be imparted. Moreover, the personnel will be trained on how they handle offender in such a way that they do not feel victimized whilst they are caused to take responsibility for their actions. Alternatively, the community in which the agency will be based needs to be sensitized on the restorative justice processes. In order for healing and reconciliation to be realized the support and participation of the community is required. Therefore, the community should be sensitized on the aims of this agency, its operation model and the role that they are required to play in order for crimes to be averted and the realization of healing and reconciliation. Operation models of the agency The operation models of this agency include restorative justice processes that provide a platform whereby offenders, victims and the community at large can participate in the process of repairing the harm that that has been subjected to them through the help of professional facilitators. In the course of these processes the facilitators and decision makers in the agency will be guided by certain values and principles towards ensuring that a significant attention is given to the injuries subjected to the victims of crime and that the tangible needs of the victims are fully addressed (Johnstone & Van Ness 2007). Moreover, these operational models will ensure that offender are fully rehabilitated and are integrated back into the community as law abiding citizens. These operational models will also work towards reducing the widening net of young people from the Aboriginal community in the criminal justice systems. Among the restorative justice process that will be incorporated in the operation model of the agency include, community restorative conferencing, victim offender mediation, sentencing circles, accountability circles, institutional practices and community restorative boards. Community restorative conferencing Community restorative conferencing in the Aboriginal community will involves a wider circle of participants. This is mainly because this community consists of more than one language groups. The conferences will integrate meeting structures between victims, offenders, their immediate families and friends. The aim of these conferences is to explore and find alternatives of dealing with consequence of crime and identifying ways that can be used to repair the harm subjected to the victims of crime. These conferences will also give victims and other affected parties a suitable platform to confront perpetrators amicably, ask questions, express their feelings and give their opinions on the way forward. On the other hand, offenders will get an opportunity to get first hand information on how their unacceptable behavior has affected people. Consequently, the offender may begin to mend the created harm by apologizing to the affected parties, transforming their behavior and agreeing to the proposed solutions such as community service or financial restitution. The conferences work towards keeping the offenders accountable while providing them with an opportunity of discarding the label of an offender thus integrating them into the community (PFI 2009). Restorative circles In the operation model of the agency restorative circles will be established for offenders who have been subjected to imprisonment in order for them to be incorporated back into the society as law abiding citizens. For instance, these circles will incorporate Aboriginal offenders who were subsequently convicted for substance abuse, burglary and various forms of assault. These restorative circles will offer an appropriate base for victims to experience healing. Circles of support accountability and healing make up restorative circles. Circles of accountability, support and healing play a great role in empowering the victims and reducing the chances of reoffending. These restorative justice processes are highly recommended due to their evidence based practice that has demonstrated aptitude in enhancing safe integration of offenders in to the community and the empowerment of victims (PFI 2009). Over time, the Aboriginal community has been judged too harshly however in the circles of support and accountability they will viewed like human being with dignity and respect. Through positive support and accountability from trained facilitators in the field of counseling and criminal justice they are bound to reform their behaviors. Community-based support and accountability minimizes the chances of the offender committing a similar offense. In the circles of healing victims undergo cognitive counseling that empowers and enables them to get through the harm that was subjected to them and live normal lives (McCold 1996) Victim -offender mediation Victim offender mediation will be incorporated as an operational model in this agency. This process involves face to face dialogues and meetings between the offender and the victim with the help of a trained facilitator. For instance, Aboriginal victims who have succumbed to assault will have session with perpetrators in a bid to realize forgiveness and reconciliation. In most cases this restorative justice process will comprise of a small number of participants and will be used as an alternative of court procession. In the course of these meetings the mediator will facilitates dialogue between the two parties with the aim of bringing about mutual understanding and reconciliation. During these sessions the facilitator will encourages the victims to express their feelings concerning the harm that was subjected to them. Alternatively, the offender is provided with a platform whereby they can understand how their actions have affected others. Moreover, the offender will have an opportunity of seeking forgiveness from the victims (PFI 2009). Sentencing circles Sentencing circles also referred to as peace making circles greatly aid in the healing process of both victims and offenders. These circles incorporate traditional structures which involve victims, offenders, their supporters, court personnel, the police and involved members of the community. Within these circles both victims and offenders can openly express their concerns and search for understanding on how healing can be effected to the affected individuals and future crimes can be prevented. (Hennessey 2005). The sentencing circles comprise of steps that are geared towards developing consensus regarding the sentencing plan and its various elements. The circles also comprise of follow up steps that monitor the healing progress of both the victims and the offenders. The role of the expert personnel will be to ensure that principles and practices of restorative justice are upheld in the sentencing process (Goulding & Steels 2007). Community Restorative Boards As an operational model for the agency community Restorative boards will comprise of small groups of people from the Aboriginal community who have been prepared through intensive training. These groups of people will carry out face to face and public meeting with convicted offenders or offenders recommended by police officers in the pre-charge basis. Furthermore, these offenders will be part of an extra judicial process or part of a peripheral. Both the participation of victims and offenders is required, the two parties will meet with the board. Alternatively, victims will be allowed to give a written statement that will be presented before the offender and the board. In the course of these meetings the members of the board converse with the offender concerning the nature of the crime committed and the impacts of the alleged crime. Thereafter, the board will deliberate and reach a consensus on the set of actions that are to be taken in regard to the committed crime. The offender is given certain terms and time to make reparation for the offense committed. Thereafter, the offender is charged with the duty of documenting their progress in complying with the agreed terms. The board will then present a report in regard to the compliance of the offender to the concerned court system. This process aids in reducing reoffending (Fitzgerald & Weatherburn 2001). Institutional Practices Institutional practices will incorporate behavioral and cognitive techniques to address issues of criminal behavior in the Aboriginal community. Through cognitive and behavioral techniques positive behavioral patterns will be reinforced and recidivism will be reduced in the Aboriginal community. Institutional practices as a service model for this agency will integrate facilitated group discussion, positive reinforcements, normative Aboriginal cultural values, therapeutic cognitive and behavioral practices to reduce the widening net of young people from the Aboriginal community towards the criminal justice systems. Membership and Ethical Standards The membership of this agency plays a vital role in ensuring that service operation model of the agency meets the needs of the needs of the Aboriginal community in regard to crime. It is therefore essential that the membership of the agency is safe guarded. The membership of the agency can be safeguarded through formidable values systems and principles. It is essential that the practices on this agency should be guided by certain values and principles. For instance, in victim offender mediation processes both the victim and offender should vow not to make profits from the restitution process. Confidential should as well be upheld especially when dealing with sensitive crime issues. A system of evaluating the outcomes of the agency should as well be established to appraise the effectiveness of the agency in reducing reoffending and attending to the plight of the victims in the Aboriginal community. Prior to the execution of the service models of this agency the membership should agree to uphold accountability, confidentially and commitment towards the reconstruction of the Aboriginal community. Commitment towards ethical standards enforces responsibility of each member in the agency to maintain the required level of expertise by practicing and developing knowledge and skill. Commitment towards ethical standards may cause members to conduct their duties according to the agreed standards and laws. Moreover, upholding ethical standards enhances accuracy in giving correct recommendations. In addition, upholding ethical standards will enable the membership to communicate possible constraints and their professional limitations (Fitzgerald & Weatherburn 2001). Limitations of the agency The community in which the agency will be established is made up of more than one language groups. The presence of more than one language group in the Aboriginal community will pose great challenge to the agency, this is mainly because there is bound to be language barrier. It will be difficult to establish the language that will used in order to reach the Aboriginal community. Given the fact that ethical standards in the practice of restorative justice discourage profit making from the various models of services, the agency will is bound to experience financial constraints especially in the process of its establishment. For instance, conducting research and community consultation will take up a lot of revenue. The task of recruiting volunteers and professionals will prove to be inherently challenging as some individuals may be unwilling to participate in this process since these processes are time consuming and emotionally draining (Walgrave 2000). Critiques argue the communitarian restorative models provides a soft option of dealing with crime therefore these agencies can only address crimes that are less serious. A major pitfall of this agency lies in the fact that there is bound to be neutralization within the healing circles or first nation sentencing. There are also certain constraints that could inhabit the agency from delivering the expectations of the community by restoring justice. For instance, restorative justice processes are emotionally draining, in most cases victims have a hard time meeting the offenders. This process can be termed as time consuming and expensive since it involves a series of processes that require lengthy time and financial adherence. Financial constraints could act as a major impediment to restorative justice systems in the course of restoring justice. As a result of the lengthy processes involved in restorative justice systems it is somewhat difficult for the parties involved to offer full attendance or commitment as they have to attend to other issues. Consequently, the course of restoring justice is compromised (Hennessey 2005). Possible Solutions and recommendations In order to tackle the issues of language barrier, the agency should involve personnel and facilitators from the various Aboriginal groups as this is bound to create a balance. Moreover, the facilitators and personnel from the different language groups will aid in providing translations. In order to counter financial the emerging financial constraints the agency should solicit financial aid from the government and other non governmental agencies that support restorative justice process. So as to get funding key role players in the agency should write proposals that explain the framework, aims and challenges of the agency in combating crime and addressing the needs of crime victims in the Aboriginal community. In order to reduce neutralization within the healing circles and first nation sentencing, the agency should conduct extensive research on the ways of promoting effectiveness within its service operational models. Moreover, the agency should network with agencies in the criminal justice systems so as to ensure that neutralization is reduced and justice executed. Conclusion The approaches used in restorative justice comprise of retributive and therapeutic models of justice. Restorative justice processes provide a platform whereby both the victims and offenders can actively participate in the process of justice and reconciliation with the help of professional facilitators. The aim of this paper was to describe the provision and development of a community based restorative justice agency with a suitable response to crime and anti-social behavior. The restorative justice agency that is to be established revolves around a community that has a high number of traditional Aboriginals people from more than two groups. The aims of this restorative justice agency are geared towards the healing of crime victims and restoring the perpetrators of crimes to law abiding citizens in the Aboriginal community(Hennessey 2005). The first step towards the establishment of this agency lies in conducting research by reviewing relevant literature, reports and other associated materials. The other steps in the establishment process include Community consultation, recruitment and networking, training and community awareness. Nevertheless, there are certain pitfalls that are bound to counter the agency key among them include language barriers and financial constraints. The agency can counter these challenges by conducting extensive research and soliciting for financial aid from the government and non governmental agencies. Bibliography Atkinson, J. 1990, Violence against Aboriginal women: Reconstitution of community law, Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2: 6-9. Bevin, J, Hall, G., Froyland, I., Steels, B., Goulding, D, 2005, Restoration or Renovation? Evaluating Restorative Justice Outcomes, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 12(1): 194-206 Fitzgerald, J & Weatherburn, D, 2001, Aboriginal Victimisation and Offending: the Picture from Police Records, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Retrieved on December 15, 2009   Goulding, D & Steels, B, 2007, Developing, implementing and researching a communitarian model of restorative justice for adult offenders in magistrate’s court, Willan publishing, Cullompton. Hennessey, H, 2005, Assessing Reoffending in Restorative Justice Conferences, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 77, 38(1). 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