According to Richards (2004), however, the history of restorative justice outside of the specifically named restorative justice procedures that are littered throughout U.S. criminal justice history is difficult to determine. Although she cites work that suggests restorative justice has been around since the dawn of time, she argues that some histories are used as a means to convince others of the importance of restorative justice and, therefore, often exaggerate it to appear like a process that occurs naturally with little work (Richards, 2004). Thus, the history of restorative justice as a whole can be described as lengthy, but murky. It is precisely for this reason that interdisciplinary study and research in pubic safety must focus on this topic. Although much is known as restorative justice and its supposed benefits, it is necessary to further establish its history, along with its effectiveness in certain situations. Through this continued research, it will become possible for criminal justice scholars to determine how to best serve the community...

Implementing components of restorative justice in the U.S. criminal justice system could, if further study established it as positive, provide a means through which the core components of the criminal justice system, such as protection and retribution, could be satisfied in a cohesive means that promotes no further deviance.
References

Minnesota Department of Corrections. (2008, April). DOC Backgrounds: Criminal

Justice. Retrieved September 1, 2009, from the Minnesota Department of Corrections Web Site: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/rj/default.htm

National Institute of Justice (2007, Nov. 26). Restorative Justice. Retrieved September 1,

2009, from the U.S. Department of Justice Web Site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/courts/restorative-justice/welcome.htm

Richards, K. (2004) Exploring the History of the Restorative Justice Movement.

Retrieved September 1, 2009, from Restorative Justice.org: http://www.restorativejustice.org/articlesdb/articles/5021