Restorative Justice and the Life Course: Victims and Offenders in Longitudinal Perspective

Short-term studies of restorative justice, in which victims and offenders meet to discuss the consequences of crime and how the harm can be repaired, reveal benefits for victims but mixed effects in reducing repeat offending. Despite its increasing popularity as a policy alternative, no long-term study of the effects on people's lives has ever been conducted. This is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. This longitudinal study of 1000 victims and 2000 offenders across randomised controlled trials of restorative justice in Australia and England will use interviews and official records to determine life course outcomes and will answer the question: does restorative justice do more good than harm?