NCJ Number
140302
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (Autumn 1992) Pages: 453-472
Date Published
1992
Length
20 pages
Annotation
In Great Britain, official criminal justice policy-makers have, in general rejected the idea using offender reparations to the victim in the service of diversion. In its 1990 White Paper, the Home Office approved only those compensation and community service programs that were administered by the courts after the offender was prosecuted.
Abstract
This author argues that there are empirical, policy, and theoretical arguments in favor of programs which combine reparation and diversion. He maintains that his position is supported by the findings of a study of an adult diversion program based in Kettering, Northamptonshire. This scheme represented the first attempt in Great Britain to combine diversion from prosecution with even-handed reparation. The Kettering program was unique in that it catered solely to adult offenders, was run by the police prosecution department on a day-to-day level, and had only a modest commitment to diversion for its own sake. It appears that both victims and offenders found the program satisfactory and fair. There are several sound policy reasons to implement the diversion- reparations model: victims' rights, financial control of the criminal justice system, extension of adult cautioning, and consistency in the treatment of different types of offenders. Finally, Braithwaite's work on reintegrative shaming seems to have strengthened the theoretical arguments for this type of arrangement. 15 notes and 30 references