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Abstract: 

The majority of American restorative justice programs operate with individuals other than criminal justice system professionals guiding the process. Typically, restorative justice programming is housed in a non-profit agency that seeks and receives referrals from the traditional players in the criminal justice system—prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges. Milwaukee’s Community Conferencing Program (CCP) is somewhat different, in that it operates directly out of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors and defense attorneys regularly play integral roles in the community conference. This article uses the Milwaukee CCP experience to explore how traditional work cultures, legal ethics, and community attitudes are reconfigured as a result of the restorative justice process.

Keywords: Prosecution; restorative justice; community conferences

Affiliations:  1: Milwaukee County District Attorney; 2: Milwaukee Public Defender Trial Office.