Nils Christie famously described conflicts as “property”. In this essay, it is argued that reintegration is also “property” owned by communities and not resettlement agencies.
Although the interest in resettlement among criminal justice agencies in recent years is to be welcomed, it should be remembered that the actual work of re-integration is done by ex-offenders, their families and other members of their communities. The basic components of a “restorative” model of re-integration are outlined.