Soliciting Community Involvement and Support for Restorative Justice Through Community Service

Abstract

This research investigates how a juvenile court was able to solicit and sustain a high degree of community support or “buy-in” for its use of restorative community service and other restorative programs. The article investigates the determinants involved in achieving this support in the face of initial community opposition, including extensive use of community outreach and community involvement in youth service work. The article also investigates debates regarding the use of community service within restorative justice, and draws from the case study to suggest some of the possible benefits and limits of thinking of community service as restorative.