title: Support for Restorative Justice in a Sample of U.S. University Students.
abstract: Theories of restorative justice suggest that the practice works best when offenders are enmeshed in multiple interdependencies or attachments to others and belong to a culture that facilitates communitarianism instead of individualism. Restorative justice principles and practices are thus believed to be incongruent with the individualistic culture and legal system of the United States, especially compared with that of nations like Australia and Japan. Using a nonprobability convenience sample of students enrolled in a large public university in the United States, our study examines attitudes toward restorative justice as a fair and just process for reintegrating offenders and meeting the needs of victims. Results indicate that our sample holds less punitive attitudes than citizens in either Australia or Japan. Our findings are discussed in light of recent policy shifts in the United States that suggest a concerted move toward decarceration following the 2008 recession.
authors.affiliation: 1 Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ahlin
authors.affiliation: 1 Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: 1 Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, USA.
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kavanaugh
authors.affiliation: 1 Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, USA.
authors.forename: Joongyeup
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003416:Criminal Law; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012935:Social Justice; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitudes; corrections; punitiveness; restorative justice