O alcance social da justiça restaurativa

Abstract

The object of this research is Restorative Justice and its social reach in Brazil. The interest in this topic arose from the author's experience as a certified mediator in Restorative Circles, combined with her professional background in Social Work and Law, notably her role as a Social Worker at the Social Assistance and Development Department of São Paulo City (SMADS). The project was formulated based on inquiries into the potentialities, limitations, and contradictions of Restorative Justice in addressing conflicts, opposing punitive approaches. Thus, the study sought to gather information about its origins and development, the advantages of its application, the types of practices applicable in Brazil, and alternatives to coercive and punitive public policies by identifying the differences between the dominant retributive justice model and the restorative justice model. Finally, the research explored the possible affinities and divergences between the ethical-political project of Social Work and the principles of Restorative Justice. From this perspective, the project adopted a sociopolitical and historical approach to its object, incorporating reflections from critical criminology to question the selective, criminalizing, and punitive practices of the hegemonic penal model. The research aligns with critical and historical approach, distancing itself from conservative trends anchored in inconsistent claims of “social reintegration,” “social cohesion,” and “social harmony” through the adjustment of “deviant” behaviors and attitudes. Instead, it aims to challenge positions that conceal or refuse to recognize class antagonisms, structural racism, sexism, misogyny, and prejudice against sexual diversity. This research maintains the understanding that combating social inequality and all forms of oppression is an essential condition for building a “culture of peace” and humanizing social coexistence. Regarding methodology, the study employed bibliographic and documental research to establish the theoretical-conceptual and legal-normative framework of the field. Subsequently, empirical data were collected through interviews with Social Workers working at the São Paulo Court of Justice (TJSP)