In particular, the I.R.A. partly in response to community demands and partly to realise a dual power strategy, punish those whom they regard as offenders by a variety of means. This process creates a set of contradictions for the formal criminal justice system, for the communities in which it occurs and for the paramilitaries. The article explores these issues via a case study of a community project in West Belfast designed to protect young people, who hijacked cars, from both the paramilitary and formal systems of criminal justice. 7 references, 2 tables. (Author abstract)