New development: Translating restorative practices into public sector organizations

Restorative practice (RP) is translated into public and private organizational contexts from the criminal justice system. It focuses on understanding the root cause of organizational incidents and addresses misconduct while building trust, incorporating wider stakeholder perspectives, and accountability. The evidence from the public sector shows that RP has the potential to build stronger communities, while reducing the number of disciplinaries, suspensions, staff turnover, and human resources (HR) costs at the same time as increasing productivity. This article will be of value to a range of decision-makers and practicioners interested in relational public services.ABSTRACTThis article examines implementation of restorative practice (RP) in public sector organizations through the lens of translation theory. Despite the global proliferation of RP, there is a scarcity of explanatory works on successful practice translations. The authors illustrate how RP has been decontextualized from criminal justice, and recontextualized for education/social care and healthcare. Effective translations require an understanding of both original and new contexts, attention to strategic and operational levels, as well as effective communication.