Restorative Justice in the U.S. Correctional System: Proposing an Integrated Model

Item

Media
JosieSmith_PP_2024.pdf
Title
Restorative Justice in the U.S. Correctional System: Proposing an Integrated Model
Creator
Josefine M. Smith
Degree Name
professional_project
Master of Science in Education: Educational Technology
Project Type
professional_project
Date
6/15/2024
Abstract
High recidivism rates and harsh prison conditions in the United States (U.S.) led to an interest in exploring pathways to improve incarceration outcomes. As incarceration will continue to be utilized within the U.S., restorative justice (RJ), a practice focusing on repairing the harm caused by crime through conversations between offenders, victims, and communities, has rapidly grown in use within criminal justice systems. While researchers commonly discuss the positive impact RJ can have on incarceration outcomes, it remains unknown how specifically RJ could be used to improve correctional facilities. This study serves to provide an updated review of the literature on restorative justice within correctional facilities globally, to offer effective recommendations for the United States. Examining 177 secondary sources from a variety of academic databases, this professional paper extracted common themes and findings into a spreadsheet, to guide the structure of this study and its recommendations. The findings indicate that further integrating restorative justice within correctional facilities will, at the least, have no impact on incarceration outcomes. Current incarceration approaches are not benefitting or properly serving the United States, findings from this study call for a more standardized integration of restorative justice within correctional facilities and criminal justice systems.
Keywords
Restorative Justice, Corrections, United States
Committee Member
Omar Melchor-Ayala
Mari Sakiyama
Terry Gingerich
Rights
https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 6/29/2024, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
License
CC-BY-NC-SA (attribution, non-commercial, share alike)
Language
English
Type
Text