Institutionalizing restorative justice : a case study of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Program

Abstract

This thesis aimed at examining the institutionalization process through a case study of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Program (NSRJP) by exploring how the state involvement with a restorative justice program may affect the way in which power is mobilized when a program becomes institutionalized. Additionally, as the existing literature providing concrete examples to confirm the claims regarding the institutionalization of restorative justice and how it can lead to discrepancies is limited, this thesis aimed to provide a concrete example exploring the disjuncture as it is hypothesized that the institutionalization of restorative justice compromises the core values and principles of restorative justice based on the mobilization of the power of the state. Ultimately, this hypothesis was not supported given the fluid, dynamic, and collaborative working relationship between the state, the referral sources, and the restorative justice agencies in Nova Scotia.