A Restorative Justice Pathway to Addressing Hurdles Constraining Social Workers Substantive Participation in Implementing the Pre-Trial Diversion Programme in Zimbabwe
Keywords:
Restorative Justice, Methodology , Restorative JuvenileSynopsis
The study aimed at establishing a pathway to addressing the hurdles constraining social workers‘ effective and substantive participation in implementing the Pre-Trial Diversion Programme with particular focus on St Marys, Chitungwiza. The key objectives of the study were firstly, to explore the nature of the Pre-Trial Diversion Programme as a strategy to ensure young offenders‘ access to restorative justice. Secondly, it sought to identify the underlying and systemic barriers or hurdles behind social workers‘ ineffective or poor participation in implementing this programme. Lastly, the study endeavoured to proffer a well informed and context-based model (pathway) that is meant to improve social workers‘ participation in this programme‘s implementation process. To this end, two theoretical frameworks- social welfare and restorative justice models- were adopted in the study as they best provide a holistic normative standard and parameter for the promotion of restorative and child-friendly juvenile justice among young offenders.
