This book has been written for a general readership, and requires no previous knowledge of restorative justice. It may be of particular interest to people who have been affected by crime, or those who have offended (or their relatives or friends), as well as people who work within criminal justice or for organisations supporting victims. It explores restorative justice as a journey, starting with the incident and moving through various stages and levels to the point where the people involved on both sides come together, seeking to resolve the crime and its aftermath. Each step is described in detail, so that by the end, the reader will have a firm understanding of the restorative justice process.

The book highlights the vital role of the skilled facilitator in ensuring that restorative justice is safe and effective. If you are new to the field, you may be surprised that the restorative process has an underlying logic, goes through clear procedures and stages, and has its own skill set, language and value base. This rigour is essential to enable the practitioner to feel confident when bringing people who have caused harm face to face with the people they have harmed. Restorative justice practitioners and their colleagues and managers may find in this book a fresh perspective and new insights to help them in their task. Finally, questions are raised for policymakers about how to reconcile restorative justice, which offers individuals space to explore their own needs and solutions, with a criminal justice system that often pulls in the opposite direction.

Although restorative approaches are spreading into schools, neighbourhoods, housing, children's homes and many other settings, this book will focus on the use of restorative justice in the criminal context.