Restorative Justice in Australia

By John Larkin
West Chester University oI Pennsylvania








Restorative Justice in Australia
Abstract
The purpose oI this paper is to explore the restorative justice system in Australia and compare it
to the current system in the United States. It will be exploring how the systems in both the
United States and Australia deal with all types oI oIIenders. Also, it will exclusively look at how
juvenile oIIenders are dealt with in both systems and look at programs Ior prisoners. Another
important look is how the court systems and policies aIIect the indigenous peoples. This paper
reIerences several published articles, and several online works.
Keywords: Restorative Justice, sanctions, Community Justice










8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 1
8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla ln Comparlson Lo Lhe unlLed SLaLes of Amerlca
1o undersLand Lhe dlfferences beLween Lhe [usLlce sysLem ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes and Lhe sysLem
ln AusLralla you flrsL need Lo undersLand whaL resLoraLlve [usLlce ls Marshall deflnes resLoraLlve [usLlce
as a process whereby all Lhe parLles wlLh a sLake ln a parLlcular offence come LogeLher Lo resolve
collecLlvely how Lo deal wlLh Lhe afLermaLh of Lhe offence and lLs lmpllcaLlons for Lhe fuLure 1hls
deflnlLlon slmply sLaLes LhaL everyone lnvolved wlLh an offense comes LogeLher Lo dlscuss Lhe
Lransgresslon and whaL happened and how Lo resolve Lhe lssue 8esLoraLlve !usLlce processes promoLe
Lhe volce valldaLlon and respecL of vlcLlms perpeLraLors and communlLles 1hey provlde a mechanlsm
for Lhe parLles Lo recelve more lnformaLlon abouL Lhe offence and lLs effecLs on Lhose lnvolved lL can
promoLe apology forglveness and heallng"(Mlchael klng) 8esLoraLlve !usLlce racLlces ln AusLralla
lnclude vlcLlmCffender MedlaLlon Lo conferenclng Lo prlson programs deslgned Lo help prlsoners
lnLeracL wlLh Lhe communlLy and galn prosoclal behavlors
1he flrsL area and mosL covered ls Lhe [uvenlle [usLlce sysLem ! 8oberL llores an
admlnlsLraLor of Lhe Cfflce of !uvenlle and uellnquency revenLlon once sald
Amerlcan youLh are faclng an ever changlng seL of problems and barrlers Lo successful
llves As a resulL we are consLanLly challenged Lo develop enllghLened pollcles and
programs Lo address Lhe needs and rlsks of Lhose youLh who enLer ouL !uvenlle !usLlce
sysLem 1he pollcles we creaLe musL be based on facLs noL fears
1hls quoLe was Laken from Lhe 2006 naLlonal 8eporL of !uvenlle Cffenders and vlcLlms 1he reporL ls of
Lhe Lransgresslons ln unlLed SLaLes commlLLed by [uvenlles and Lhe book sLaLes Lhe sLaLlsLlcs for cerLaln
lssues
8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 2
ln Lhe 1990s resLoraLlve [usLlce became a new way of respondlng Lo [uvenlle offences ln
AusLralla lL began as a way Lo dlverL young offenders from Lhe formal courL processes (kelly 8lchards)
lL now exlsLs ln many forms across all of AusLralla ln such ways as vlcLlmoffender medlaLlon and for Lhe
lndlgenous populaLlon clrcle senLenclng 8esLoraLlve !usLlce has become so lngralned ln Lhe crlmlnal
[usLlce sysLem LhaL Lhe pollce are almosL consLanLly referrlng youLhs and each local governmenL has
passed a law or order Lo make Lhe resLoraLlve [usLlce process even more lawful 1he mosL recenL Lo be
passed ls Lhe Crlme AcL ln Lhe AusLrallan CaplLal 1errlLory 1he AcL seeks Lo meeL Lhe needs of vlcLlms
and offenders by provldlng a safe envlronmenL ln whlch Lhey can parLlclpaLe ln repalrlng Lhe harm
caused by crlme" (kelly 8lchards) 1he acL also allows for Lhe veLolng of conferenclng by Lhe offender or
ln a few provldences AusLralla's verslon of sLaLes by Lhe vlcLlm 1hls veLolng" forces Lhe formal and old
sysLem Lo come lnLo effecL
1he acL requlres LhaL Lhe perpeLraLor musL accepL responslblllLy for Lhe crlme and agree Lo Lake
parL ln Lhe resLoraLlve [usLlce process When deLermlnlng wheLher Lhe parLlclpanLs are sulLable for
conferenclng several facLors are consldered Lhese lnclude personal characLerlsLlcs moLlvaLlon for belng
lnvolved and Lhe percelved lmpacL of Lhe offence
When deallng wlLh Lhe aborlglnals lL ls common pracLlce Lo hold an Aborlglnal senLenclng clrcle
or ASC A 2003 law leglLlmlzlng Lhe nunga Lhe Lrlbal courL requlres LhaL vlcLlms be glven Lhe chance Lo
Lake parL ln Lhe conference 1hls ls ln addlLlon Lo Lhe offender elders and communlLy members
8ecenLly Lhere has been a change ln how Lhese conferences work 1he new sysLem ls Lo be based off of
several advancemenLs ln senLenclng clrcles and conferences made ln Canada 1hese advancemenLs
lnclude sLeps and processes Lo help make Lhe senLenclng conferenclng more powerful especlally
senLenclng 1he sLeps lnclude Lhe ldenLlflcaLlon of sulLable maLLers where anyLhlng relevanL Lo Lhe
8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 3
clrcle ls broughL Lo llghL 1he nexL sLep ls Lo arrange Lhe clrcle 1he coordlnaLor wlll arrange Lhe
conference and Lry Lo brlef parLlclpanLs one monLh before Lhe conference lf posslble 1hen comes
selecLlng local communlLy elders Lo Lake parL ln Lhe conference Lhey are chosen wlLh regard Lo klnshlp
and Lo ensure LhaL culLural conslderaLlons are Laken care of and are presenL aL Lhe conference 1he
pollce do conLrlbuLe ln Lhe conference buL Lhey only Lry Lo glve Lhe facLual background and any advlce
on any mlnlmum penalLles 1hey are meanL Lo be conclllaLory and Lry Lo empower Lhe vlcLlm Lhe
communlLy and Lhe defendanL Lo dlscuss Lhe offences and poLenLlal ouLcomes LasL ls senLenclng whlch
ls done a day laLer by a local maglsLraLe based on several recommendaLlons made by Lhose who
aLLended Lhe conference (Cannon 2007)
unforLunaLely Lhe unlLed SLaLes has Laken a sLep back ln some areas 1he 1997 uS ueparLmenL
of !usLlce reporL on Ioveolle Iostlce kefotm loltlotlves lo tbe 5totes 19941997 sLaLes LhaL ln Cregon wenL
from rehablllLaLlon and resLoraLlon orlenLed sysLem Lo a reLrlbuLlve and deLerrenL based one (8llchlk
1997 pg 73) 1hey clalmed LhaL Lhe currenL sysLem dld llLLle Lo sLop [uvenlle crlme and creaLed many
repeaL offenders due Lo no punlshmenL Accordlng Lo Lhe reporL Lhe [uvenlle recelved no subsLanLlal
sancLlon ln Lhelr flrsL slx or seven encounLers wlLh Lhe sysLem" 1hls was due Lo a lack of any meeLlng
wlLh offlclals or any sorL of punlshmenL 1he offenders would noL even geL a slap on Lhe wrlsL unLll Lhe
Lhlrd offense WlLh Lhe lnformaLlon glven one cannoL even see a hlnL of resLoraLlve [usLlce 1here was no
meeLlng beLween offender and vlcLlms nor does lL menLlon a meeLlng wlLh offlclals unLll Lhe Lhlrd or
fourLh offense (8llchlk 1997 pg 71) 1here ls new hope however as sLaLes begln Lo experlmenL wlLh
resLoraLlve [usLlce ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes followlng Lhe example of AusLralla
8esLoraLlve [usLlce has also led Lo Lhe creaLlon of CommunlLy !usLlce CenLers 1hese cenLers seek
Lo geL Lhe local communlLy more lnvolved ln Lhe [usLlce sysLem (vlcLorlas nelghborhood [usLlce" 2009)
8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 4
1hese cenLers challenge LradlLlonal [usLlce sysLems and raLher Lhan [usL respondlng Lo crlme Lhey Lry Lo
creaLe new relaLlonshlps wlLh boLh Lhe wlder communlLy and wlLh Lhose wlLhln Lhe [usLlce sysLem
1hese cenLers are usually very lnnovaLlve ln Lhelr approaches for publlc welfare and lssues LhaL would be
consldered unlmporLanL ln LradlLlonal sysLem lndlgenous communlLles naLlve Amerlcans ln unlLed
SLaLes and Lhe Aborlglnes ln AusLralla have a parLlcular sense of communlLy [usLlce and Lhese
communlLy [usLlce cenLers appeal would appeal Lo Lhem and ln AusLralla Lhey are wldely used by Lhe
Aborlglnes peoples
1he developmenL of Lhese cenLers ln noL new Lo Lhe unlLed SLaLes however as Lhey have been
around slnce Lhe 1960s albelL ln small numbers deallng solely wlLh mlnor offenses (vlcLorlas
nelghborhood [usLlce 2009) ln Lhe laLe 1980s however Lhese uS courLs changed and became problem
solvlng 1hls sLarLed ln Mlaml wlLh a cenLer LhaL wanLed Lo help solve lssues wlLh crlme and publlc
safeLy Slnce Lhen slgnlflcanLly expanded Lo now lnclude some 2338 problemsolvlng courLs ln all 30
sLaLes ln Lhe uS wlLh more ln Lhe plannlng phase" (vlcLorlas nelghborhood [usLlce 2009) LvaluaLlon
of Lhese communlLy courLs ln AusLralla have shown an lncrease ln Lhe quallLy of quallLy of llfe ln Lhe
local and surroundlng areas by reduclng crlme and lncreaslng communlLy confldence ln Lhe courLs
(Svlrldof 8oLLman Weldner 2003)
As Lhere ls no conferenclng for adulL crlmlnals ln AusLralla excepL experlmenLal programs for
young adulLs (1823) prlsons have developed programs Lo help prlsoners galn prosoclal skllls and
relnLegraLe lnLo socleLy Lrwln !ames a prlsoner hlmself descrlbes prlsons as conslsLlng of enforced
ldleness" and worklng Lo creaLe model prlsoners lnsLead of model clLlzens" !ames clalmed LhaL
worklng for a brallle unlL changed hls llfe lL LaughL hlm Lhe [oy of helplng oLhers 1hls model has been

8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 3
caLchlng on and has spread across Lo mosL prlson ln AusLralla Such programs show respecL for
prlsoners as human belngs" clalmed Lrwln
When one Lalks abouL resLoraLlve [usLlce Lhey dlscuss Lhe dlfference beLween Laklng
responslblllLy and belng held responslble An arblLrary punlshmenL by a [udge such as a prlson senLence
holds one responslble whereas Laklng responslblllLy come from wlLhln oneself lnprlson programs
allow Lhe prlsoner Lo Lry Lo make amends Lo Lhe communlLy LhaL Lhey may have harmed ln AusLralla
Lhls has grown Lo prlsoners paylng lnLo a fund LhaL provldes asslsLance Lo vlcLlms of crlme" (LyneLLe
arker) 1he mosL lmporLanL feaLure of Lhls ls LhaL lL leLs prlsoners bulld relaLlonshlps wlLh Lhe
communlLy and become parL of Lhose communlLles more qulckly afLer release lL helps bulld Lhe soclal
behavlors one needs Lo survlve ln Lhe world
1he unlLed SLaLes once had many programs buL mosL have been shuL down A ma[or example
was durlng World War ll when prlsoners were volunLeerlng long hours Lo make war maLerlals for Lhe
soldlers 1hey wanLed Lo help Lhe naLlonal communlLy LhaL Lhey harmed by creaLlng necessary maLerlals
for LhaL naLlon Lo survlve
As a counLry Lhe unlLed SLaLes ls slgnlflcanLly larger and more populaLed Lhen AusLralla lL ls
much more dlverse and complex Lhen AusLralla 8uL resLoraLlve [usLlce ls our besL hope as a counLry
AusLralla may only be an lsland ln Lhe paclflc buL lL was once a prlson colony 1hey used Lhe LradlLlonal
sysLem llke we do and declded LhaL lL wasn'L effecLlve 1he sysLem Lhey use could easlly be adapLed Lo
our currenL one even lf Lo [usL use lL as a dlverslon Lo courLs Lo sLem Lhe bulglng prlson envlronmenL


8esLoraLlve !usLlce ln AusLralla age 6
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