Restorative Justice
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rehabilitation whenever possible.44
As I mentioned previously, nearby Nova
Scotia is leading the way—in a manner Vermont has failed to follow. But Vermont still
could be a leader in institutionalizing restorative justice and lead the way for the
rest of the United States. From my research
this summer, I discovered that eighteen
states have some kind of legislation that includes the term “restorative justice.” The
legislation looks like patchwork, at best.
No state’s legislation reflects a conception
of restorative justice as an integral part of
a comprehensive system of justice. I have
included a summary of the states’ statutes
I reviewed in the endnotes to this article.45
The governor, legislators, judges, and attorneys of Vermont will not need to go far if
they are interested in learning more about
implementing restorative justice in a more
comprehensive and responsive manner. As
I was contemplating researching and writing this article, Professor Gale Burford of
the University o