Prisoners who are serving long-term sentences face a unique challenge once they seek to reconcile with those whom they have harmed. There are few opportunities for prisoners to engage in victim-offender mediation programs while they are serving their sentences. Prisoners, therefore, must reach out to the extent possible to all those who are willing to reconcile in some way - the victim of the crime in question and those associated with the victims as well as the family members and friends - so that the period of imprisonment can be a form of personal transformation.

Source: Vanspauwen, K., Robert, L., Aertsen, I., Parmentier, S. (2003), Restorative Justice and Restorative Detention. A selected and annotated bibliography. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid, Onderzoeksgroep Penologie en Victimologie.