The prologue presents a speech given by Frederic McClintock (to whom this volume is dedicated) to the Howard League for Penal Reform (Scotland) on "victims and criminal justice" in March 1993. The body of the book is divided into two parts. The first part contains five papers that address recent victim-oriented innovations in criminal policy in some European countries: Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain. The second part of the book contains nine papers that focus on the theoretical and applied perspectives of restorative justice as a victim-oriented alternative to retributive justice. Three of the papers contrast the retributive and restorative justice paradigms. Six of the papers discuss the theory and practice of restorative justice. One of these papers considers which model of criminal justice offers the best scope for assisting crime victims. Another paper discusses the restoration, reconciliation, and healing manifested in the revitalization of culture and tradition in addressing crime and victimization in Canadian Aboriginal communities. Remaining papers address victims, mediation, and criminal justice; types of processes in criminal mediation in France; calculation of the crime damage that must be repaired for victims; and the victim's perspective in mediation for reparation. Chapter notes and references