Restorative justice in Brazil: does it provide a place for community involvement and a path to penal abolition?

This article critically examines the development and practice of restorative justice (RJ) in Brazil, highlighting its predominant implementation by the Judicial Power with limited involvement of victims, communities, and civil society. It identifies key challenges such as the marginalization of victims, the offender-centered focus, the lack of community participation, and the risk of RJ being co-opted by traditional punitive criminal justice frameworks. The article contrasts Brazil's RJ experience with broader restorative and transformative justice ideals, emphasizing the need for greater democratization, theoretical grounding, and incorporation of local and regional perspectives to move toward penal abolitionism. It also presents examples of community-led transformative justice initiatives in Brazil that operate outside formal RJ programs, suggesting potential pathways for more inclusive and socially responsive justice models.