Redefining justice: the framing of contemporary restorative justice in film

Abstract

My thesis examines how the contemporary restorative justice movement frames itself in educational, informational and training films, in an attempt to broaden its appeal and advance its acceptance and implementation, particularly within a culture of crime control where retribution and punishment are hegemonic. I examine contemporary restorative justice, first through an acknowledgement of its varied and diverse roots as well as through its entrenchment within the dominantly punitive criminal justice system. Contemporary restorative justice is often referred to as a social movement, and as such it maintains a capacity to reshape the current discursive terrain and transform criminal justice culture. Snow and Benford (1986, 1988) assert that social movements disrupt hegemonic discourses and practices through frame alignment tasks (diagnostic, prognostic and motivational framing) and frame alignment processes (bridging, amplification, extension and transformation). I examine how the contemporary restorative justice movement utilizes these tasks and processes in information, educational and training films, in its effort to advance an alternative perspective of criminal justice.