Dr Brian Williams lays bare the assumptions about victims and offenders that currently restrict efficient policy-making. He evaluates proposed solutions, including restorative justice and informal community justice, and draws on evidence and experiences from the UK and around the world to investigate which measures have proved effective.

Dr Brian Williams was Professor of Community Justice and Victimology at De Montfort University in Leicester. He served on the Executive of the British Society of Criminology and was a volunteer training officer for a local Victim Support scheme. He published widely on victims of crime, including (as editor) Reparation and Victim-Focussed Social Work.

Chapter One: Introduction. The Context: victim policy internationally and in the UK since 1964. Chapter Two: Community Justice and its implications for victims. Chapter Three: Restorative Justice and its implications for victims. Chapter Four: Improving the position of victims of crime. Chapter Five: Real improvements for victims of crime. Chapter Six: Conclusions.