Samenvatting

What room is there for restorative justice in the enforcement of (life) long prison sentences? Based on the current international and national legal-normative framework, this contribution argues that there is room for restorative justice in the enforcement phase. Moreover, based on ECtHR case law and legal sociology literature, it argues that rehabilitation and restorative justice are inextricably linked. Life prisoners should be offered a real prospect of release, given ECtHR case law. Release may follow if the offender has made sufficient progress in his rehabilitation. For that to actually happen, attention must be paid to restorative justice during execution. It is observed that attention to restorative justice is largely lacking in the current laws and regulations on the enforcement of (life) long prison sentences, but also that there are opportunities to embed restorative justice more firmly in them.