RESTORATIVE PRACTICES eFORUM - Victim Research

UK Study Shows Majority of Crime Victims ...Reject Idea of Prison and Favor Restorative Justice Meetings Between Victims and Offenders.

A new survey in the United Kingdom shows that nearly two-thirds of crime victims believe that prison sentences don't prevent reoffending. More than half favor face-to-face meetings between victims and offenders, so victims can relate the impact of the crime and offenders can take responsibility and make amends. The survey, commissioned by two UK organizations, Victim Support, which helps crime victims, and Smart Justice, a crime-prevention "think tank," and performed by ICM Research, polled a random sample of 991 adult victims of crime. IIRP director of research Paul McCold commented, "the survey confirms that crime victims are not especially punitive and the majority believe that restorative justice is in their interest."

"Victim Support's report":http://www.realjustice.org/library/vocsurveypr.html
The Guardian:http://www.realjustice.org/library/guardian01-06.html
Survey results:http://www.realjustice.org/library/vocsurvey.html