In a mere quarter century restorative justice has grown from a few scattered experimental projects into a social movement, and then into an identifiable field of practice and study. It has been a story of success, but reform movements can get sidetracked from their original purposes, and often meet with unanticipated threats and unintended consequences. Hence the need for a book to address the critical issues that face restorative justice. These were identified following a series of meetings between practitioners, policy makers and academics in the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, the USA and Canada, and are addressed directly in this book by an international group of writers. These include practitioners as well as academics, both from within and outside the field of restorative justice. The book aims to lay the groundwork for an ongoing, open ended dialogue.