The analysis considers pure and partial theories of restorative justice, with emphasis on the relationship between restorative and retributive theories of justice. The analysis also considers the hypothesis that restorative justice could contribute to a process of net widening. The discussion explores different approaches to restorative justice, including those that emphasize offender accountability the rehabilitation of offenders, and the crime prevention effects of restorative justice. The analysis also considers the various constituencies of restorative justice, including the private or quasi-public sector, criminal justice professionals, crime victims, women, and aboriginal peoples. The discussion also assesses the relationship between restorative justice and the criminalization of politics, with special attention to the relationship between restorative and aboriginal justice and the larger decolonialization project. List of cases and 43 references (Author abstract modified)