Psychology of Restorative Justice

Theo Gavrielides is an international expert in restorative justice, human rights and criminal justice and an advisor and project manager for EU and international programmes. He is the Founder and Director of The IARS International Institute and the Founder and co-Director of the Restorative Justice for All Institute (RJ4All). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Criminology (Centre for Restorative Justice) of Simon Fraser University as well as a Visiting Professor at Buckinghamshire New University. Professor Gavrielides is the Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, as well as of the Youth Voice Journal and the Internet Journal of Restorative Justice. He has published extensively in the areas of restorative justice, human rights, youth justice, equality and criminal justice. Previously, he was the Chief Executive of Race on the Agenda, as well as the Human Rights Advisor of the UK Ministry of Justice.

• Foreword, Shadd Maruna; Introduction, Theo Gavrielides. Part I Developing Theory: Social Sciences Meet Psychology and Neuroscience: A micro-social psychology of restorative justice: the contribution of positioning theory, Giuseppe Maglione; The group and cultural context of restorative justice: a social psychological perspective, Julie Van de Vyver, Giovanni A. Travaglino, Milica Vasiljevic and Dominic Abrams; Towards a neuroscience of morality, Daniel Reisel; Restorative practices, affect script psychology and the social and emotional aspects of learning, Nicola Preston; Restorative justice and psychology: positivism in criminology again? A few theoretical reflections, Vasso Artinopoulou. Part II Critical Issues: The psychology of restorative practice in forensic mental health recovery, Gerard Drennan, Andy Cook and Henry Kiernan; The concept of humiliation as a critical issue in restorative justice: an exploration, Rina Kashyap; Re-entry circles for the innocent: the psychological benefits of restorative justice and taking responsibility in response to injustice, Lorenn Walker; Trauma-informed rehabilitation and restorative justice, Judah Oudshoorn; Challenging power dynamics in restorative justice, Mikhail Lyubansky and Elaine Shpungin. Part III New Research: The psychology of restorative justice: creating the inner and outer space for change - an observation of restorative justice meetings, Piers Worth, Theo Gavrielides, Matthew Smith, Andriana Ntziadima and Ioanna Gouseti; Positive psychology as a contribution to rehabilitation in restorative justice systems: analysis of two cases of penal mediation in Chile, Isabel González Ramírez, María Soledad Fuentealba Martínez and Samuel Malamud Herrera. Part IV Concluding Thoughts: The sceptic and the believer: the psychology of restorative justice, Theo Gavrielides. Index.

’In this volume, we really have a chance to see the richness of what real psychology can be - even qualitative, activist and theoretical. This is great news for psychology and great news for justice studies to see just what we can learn from the oldest social science. Leave it to restorative justice (again) to lead the way in breaking this important, new ground.’ Shadd Maruna, Rutgers University Newark, USA ’Gavrielides’ edited collection revolutionizes our understanding of restorative justice through its multidisciplinary, global and comprehensive approach. Despite the volumes written on this topic and billions spent by governments to implement restorative justice programs, the concept remains poorly understood and inconsistently implemented. Through both a theoretical and empirical framework, the authors in this collection discuss critical issues in restorative justice policies and practices and offer a cohesive understanding of the restorative justice movement. I highly recommend this book for academics, practitioners and policy-makers alike.’ Karen Terry, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, USA ’Full of lively chapters that demonstrate that it’s not difference that divides practitioners but silence, The Psychology of Restorative Justice offers a range of multi-disciplinary voices that challenge complacency, invigorate debate and articulate what future next steps might be.’ Lorraine Gamman, University of the Arts London, UK ’Justice, in Plato's The Republic, means harmony, both internal, in the form of the soul, and external, in the form of the state. Restorative Justice, therefore, harmonizing the victim with the offender, is justice par excellence. Theo Gavrielides' new collective volume is the epitome of harmony in conflictual situations, in theory and practice, and in psychological perspectives, including the latest research in neuroscience.’ Calliope Spinelli, University of Athens, Greece 'Nils Christie invited us to be provocative, creative and critical in seeking justice for those in conflict with the law and each other. He believed that the power of the state, alone, could not deliver justice; he believed in the power within each of us to own our conflicts. This book is a testimonial to that conviction, grounded in the latest praxis across disciplinary domains. It is a must read for anyone interested in the limits and human potential of restorative justice.'Brenda Morrison, Simon Fraser University, Canada‘Howard Zehr suggests that “Restorative Justice is not a map but the principles of restorative justice can be seen as a compass pointing a direction”. With this book the authors point the readers in a new direction, namely to explore restorative justice through a multi-disciplinary lens. By stimulating the discourse about how restorative justice as well as its practices and approaches can bring about justice (restoration) on a deeper level than its current application within a legal paradigm, this book inspires continued debate that transcends the existing boundaries of what we understand restorative justice to be. This is indeed a pioneering and exciting direction.’Marelize Schoeman, University of South Africa, South Africa