By Andrea Cipriano | July 1, 2020 Why hasn’t restorative justice caught on in prosecutor’s offices around the country?

While a small but influential group of big-city “progressive” prosecutors are actively using the concept, which offers rehabilitation and “healing” to offenders as an alternative to punishment, mainstream DAs remain skeptical or, in some cases, hostile.

Many are dissuaded by the additional resources required for the programs and others feel constrained by local sentiment that emphasizes “tough on crime” approaches; but these objections could be overcome by demonstrating how restorative justice can “align” with traditional justice goals—including better serving the needs of crime victims, argues a Fordham Law Review paper.

Ultimately, broader acceptance may have to await a change in the political climate after the 2020 elections, write the authors, Lara Abigail Bazelon of the University of San Francisco School of Law, and Bruce A. Green of Fordham Law School.

“For restorative justice to gain a foothold in counties across the United States… Read Full Article