Restorative Justice Programs in Czech Prisons: The Role of Perceived Usefulness and Familiarity with the Program

• Author: Jan Tomasek,Eva Krulichova,Petra Masopust Sachova
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00328855221136198
• Published date: 01 December 2022
• Date: 01 December 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

Restorative Justice

Programs in Czech

Prisons: The Role of

Perceived Usefulness

and Familiarity with

the Program

Jan Tomasek

1

, Eva Krulichova

2

,

and Petra Masopust Sachova

3

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to examine interest in the implementation

of f‌ive restorative justice programs as reported by 225 employes of the

Prison Service of the Czech Republic and to identify the factors that under-

pin such interest. The results show that perceived usefulness and familiarity

with the program are crucial factors that inf‌luence the respondent’s interest

in program implementation. Additionally, awareness of the concept of

restorative justice and agreement with its principles are likely to have an

indirect effect, mediated through perceived usefulness.

Keywords

restorative justice, restorative justice programs, prison, perceived usefulness

and familiarity, the Czech republic

1

Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention, Prague, The Czech Republic

2

Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Science, Prague, The Czech Republic

3

Institute of Restorative Justice, Prague, The Czech Republic

Corresponding Author:

Eva Krulichova,Institute of Sociologyof the Czech Academy of Science,Jilska 1, 110 00, Prague 1,

The Czech Republic.

Email: eva.krul ichova@gmail.c om

Article

The Prison Journal

2022, Vol. 102(6) 694–717

© 2022 SAGE Publications

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/00328855221136198

journals.sagepub.com/home/tpj

Introduction

Restorative justice can undoubtedly be described as one of the most inf‌luen-

tial movements that have emerged in the f‌ield of criminal justice in recent

decades. Programs and measures based on restorative principles have gradu-

ally become an integral part of justice systems in many countries around the

world (Aertsen et al., 2006; Miers, 2007; Shapland, 2014; Vanfraechem et al.,

2010). The strength of this approach generally lies in a honed focus on

addressing the needs of crime victims and offenders’taking responsibility

and trying to redress the harms caused by the offense (Dignan, 2005;

Umbreit, 1994; Zernova, 2007). When appropriate, those directly affected

by the crime are invited to come together and discuss the possible ways of

remedying the consequences (Zehr, 2005). Victim-offender mediation is the

most commonly practiced form of restorative justice, though measures such

as family group conferences and restorative circles have also become wide-

spread (McCold, 2008; Shapland et al., 2011).

In general, restorative justice principles can be applied at all stages of crim-

inal proceedings (Gavrielides, 2007).

1

Nevertheless, restorative justice pro-

grams and practices in prisons are still less common (Crocker, 2015). One

of the reasons may be that some proponents of restorative justice consider

imprisonment to be a retributive measure which is, more or less, in conf‌lict

with the basic principles of restorative justice (Edgar & Newell, 2006;

Gavrielides, 2014). From a practical point of view, working with victims and

offenders is easier in a community setting than a carceral setting (Van Ness,

2007). Moreover, in many countries, restorative justice programs are usually

seen as more suitable for youth or offenders of less serious crimes than for criminals

whose crimes deserve imprisonment (Wallace & Wylie, 2013).

Notwithstanding, the many projects conducted around the world clearly

show that restorative justice programs and practices in a correctional environ-

ment can be very benef‌icial (e.g., Barabás et al., 2012; Edgar & Newell, 2006;

Goulding et al., 2008; Robert & Peters, 2003), especially if we consider reha-

bilitation to be one of the primary goals of imprisonment (Dhami et al., 2009).

The specif‌ic objectives and forms of such programs may vary--from victim-

offender mediation which helps prisoners to develop empathy for the

victim while facilitating meetings between them and their families or commu-

nity members before prison release--to resolving conf‌licts between inmates or

between prison staff and inmates (Gavrielides, 2014; Goulding et al., 2008;

Van Ness, 2007). Although the benef‌its of restorative justice for victims are

well known (Wemmers, 2002), these measures also have the potential to

increase the inmate’s chances of successful reintegration back into society.

Not only do such initiatives aid in helping offenders to gain insight into

Tomasek et al. 695