Customer-Centered Juvenile Justice

Author

Logan Seacrest

Resident Fellow, Criminal Justice & Civil Liberties

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Introduction

Juvenile offenders and their victims can benefit from a restorative justice approach. This article highlights the latest evidence on restorative justice, evaluates innovative programs, and offers practical recommendations for effective implementation.

Society has debated how to respond when a young person breaks the law since before the juvenile court was introduced in 1899 (Shepherd, 1999). Restorative justice unites timeworn wisdom with a first-principles focus on the justice system’s “customers”—namely, victims and young people who have caused harm—recognizing that those most affected by crime are best equipped to determine a just outcome. This approach has proven effective in a variety of contexts from international peace tribunals to the school playground. While juvenile courts across the country have been experimenting with restorative practices for over 40 years, new research and innovative programs continue to push the field forward.

Read the full study at the National Center for State Courts publication Trends in State Courts.