Victims of Crime and Community Justice Brian Williams (2005) London: Jessica Kingsley

Abstract

critical analysis, Williams considers existing solutions to these problems and examples of effective community justice initiatives across the globe. Using examples such as the Community Reparative Boards in Vermont, USA or Street Committees and people’s courts in apartheid-era South Africa, William demonstrates that community engagement in crime and justice issues, restorative approaches, local courts and re-establishment of informal social controls are not new ideas. Rather, they have been implemented on a global scale, but without the same prominence as that given to the rhetoric of the ‘fight’ against crime and the increasingly more punitive responses to both criminal and deviant behaviour. In detailing the mechanisms by which such initiatives work, Williams highlights how they fit into current debates and where further research is needed to establish fully what is and what is not effective and under what circumstances. For example, in examining the controversial initiative of circles of support for sexual offenders in the community, Williams recognises the need for a thorough assessment and continued monitoring of this group in order that law enforcement can be employed if necessary. Crucially, Williams throws some critical light on the notion that the criminal justice system has begun to re-balance its policy to support victims and witnesses better, demonstrating a continued focus on offenders’ rights and, indeed, a discussion of offenders as victims. In answer to this quandary, Williams proposes the possibility of making changes Brian Williams’ text begins with a broad overview of the development of victim focus in criminal justice policy in the UK, the EU and beyond. It incorporates an analysis of how community justice measures and restorative justice have responded to the need for a ‘rebalancing’ of criminal justice policy to take account of victims’ and witnesses’ needs. In this account, Williams explores the notion that the line between victim and offender is not always clear-cut, and then discusses how criminal justice policy is attempting to respond to this. In an examination of community justice measures, including crime prevention, stakeholder participation, partnership working and restorative justice, Williams considers current issues which have arisen as a result of these developments. They include the need for rebuilding citizens’ confidence in the criminal justice system, rebuilding fragmented communities by restoration of social capital and the difficulties in defining what community justice actually is. In this discussion, Williams identifies dissatisfaction with current criminal justice policy, specifically its adversarial nature, over-use of imprisonment, and lack of confidence in criminal justice agencies to reduce crime, manage offenders and keep communities safe. In his exploration to define community justice, Williams ably makes the links clear between these concerns and the need to restore social capital, including embedding a sense of responsibility in citizens and the barriers to doing this. An important aspect of this text is that, after presenting key issues, barriers to overcome and Victims of Crime and Community Justice Brian Williams (2005) London: Jessica Kingsley 176pp; £18.99 ISBN: 978 1 84310 195 6