A Systematic Review of Participant and Facilitator Experiences of Restorative Justice Interventions in the Forensic Secure Estate

Restorative justice encourages communication and restoration between individuals or groups where harm has been caused. This article reviews participant and facilitator experiences of restorative justice interventions in the forensic secure estate. During a systematic review we searched six databases acquiring 628 articles. We identified nine studies as suitable for inclusion with a total of 426 participants of restorative interventions. We identified three themes: Underlying Processes, Clinical Applications, and Internal Mechanisms of Change. We conclude that restorative justice can provide benefits to those who are involved in the process but are most effective when certain wider systemic conditions are met.

Automated summary

Restorative justice interventions in the forensic secure estate can provide benefits to participants, but require specific systemic conditions to be most effective.