The Effectiveness of Non-Custodial Sanctions in Juvenile Justice: An Empirical Study on the Implementation of Restorative Justice in Bengkulu
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37253/jjr.v27i2.11057Keywords:
Non-Custodial Sanctions, Restorative Justice, Juvenile Justice SystemAbstract
This study examines the effectiveness of non-custodial sanctions within Indonesia’s juvenile justice system, with a particular focus on the implementation of restorative justice in Bengkulu Province. Grounded in Law No. 11 of 2012 on the Juvenile Criminal Justice System (UU SPPA) and international instruments such as the CRC and Tokyo Rules, the research explores the normative, institutional, and empirical dimensions of diversion and community-based sanctions for children in conflict with the law. Adopting a socio-legal methodology, the study combines doctrinal analysis with qualitative fieldwork involving 25 semi-structured interviews with judges, prosecutors, police investigators, correctional officers, and community leaders, complemented by direct observations of diversion sessions and the analysis of court and institutional documents. The findings reveal a strong normative commitment to restorative principles but highlight significant gaps in practice due to limited institutional capacity, inconsistent inter-agency coordination, and persistent cultural stigmas. Diversion programs in Bengkulu have demonstrated positive impacts on rehabilitation and social reintegration, particularly when supported by families and local communities. However, the absence of standardized procedures, integrated data systems, and adequate professional training undermines long-term sustainability. The study concludes that meaningful juvenile justice reform requires not only legal and procedural refinement but also transformative engagement with societal attitudes and sustained investment in supportive infrastructure. It further offers concrete policy recommendations to strengthen the restorative justice ecosystem and promote a more humane, rights-based approach to juvenile justice in Indonesia.
Downloads
References
Adams, W. C. (2015). Conducting Semi-Structured Interviews. Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation: Fourth Edition, 492–505. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386.CH19
Ananda Syukria Adzana et al. (2025). Analysis of the Conformity of Restorative Justice and Diversion Principles in the Juvenile Justice System Law with the Equality Principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. JIHAD : Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Dan Administrasi, 7(1), 2746–3842. https://doi.org/10.58258/JIHAD.V7I1.8403
Ashworth, A. (2002). Responsibilities, Rights and Restorative Justice. The British Journal of Criminology, 42(3), 578–595. https://doi.org/10.1093/BJC/42.3.578
Capdevila, M., & Foussard, C. (2019). The Mutual Compatibility of Children’s Rights and Public Safety Community-Based Measures for Children in Conflict with the Law in Catalonia. Violence Against Children in the Criminal Justice System: Global Perspectives on Prevention, 216–234. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429440793-13/MUTUAL-COMPATIBILITY-CHILDREN-RIGHTS-PUBLIC-SAFETY-MANEL-CAPDEVILA-C
Chitsabesan, P., & Bailey, S. (2006). Mental Health, Educational and Social Needs of Young Offenders in Custody and in the Community. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 19(4), 355–360. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.YCO.0000228753.87613.01
Colorafi, K. J., & Evans, B. (2016). Qualitative Descriptive Methods in Health Science Research. Health Environments Research and Design Journal, 9(4), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1937586715614171;PAGEGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Davies, S. G., & Robson, J. (2016). Juvenile (In)justice: Children in Conflict with the Law in Indonesia. Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law, 17(1), 119–147. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718158-01701009
Dawson-Edwards, C. (2015). Restorative Justice. The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118519639.WBECPX163
Effendy, F. S. W. (2025). Non-Custodial Sanctions in the Context of Restorative Justice: A Modern Criminal Law Perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, 08(05), 3011–3017. https://doi.org/10.47191/IJMRA/V8-I05-86
Erdin, E., Shofiana, A., & Indar, I. J. (2025). The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice in Resolving Juvenile Criminal Offenses in Indonesia. Hakim: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Dan Sosial, 3(1), 918–936. https://doi.org/10.51903/HAKIM.V3I1.2288
Farid, A. M., Maulani, I., Fatihah, N. N., & Lestari, S. (2024). Transcending Justice: Integrating Restorative Principles with the Divine Values of Pancasila. Kanun Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 26(2), 433–447. https://doi.org/10.24815/KANUN.V26I2.38483
Hutagalung, T. S. (2023). The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Implementation in the Juvenile Criminal Justice System in Indonesia. Jurnal Smart Hukum (JSH), 2(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.55299/JSH.V2I1.1353
Ibrahim, R. A., & Okta, S. L. (2025). The Principle of Restorative Justice in the Settlement of Children’s Cases: A Literature Analysis of Practice in Indonesia. International Journal of Humanities, Law, and Politics , 3(2), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.46336/IJHLP.V3I2.222
Kilkelly, U., & Pleysier, S. (2023). Rights of the Child in the Child Justice System. Youth Justice, 23(2), 135–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/14732254231185820
Leeuw, F. L. (2015). Empirical Legal Research: The Gap Between Facts and Values and Legal Academic Training. Utrecht Law Review, 11(2), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.18352/ULR.315
Martinez, A., Villegas, L., Hassoun Ayoub, L., Jensen, E., & Miller, M. (2022). Restorative Justice and School-wide Transformation: Identifying Drivers of Implementation and System Change. Journal of School Violence, 21(2), 190–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2022.2039682;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Muchtar, S., Irwansyah, Yunus, A., Arifin, A. P., & Faried, M. (2024). Juvenile Criminal Responsibility in Justice Systems: A Comparative Study of Judicial Interpretations in Indonesia and Australia. Jambe Law Journal, 7(2), 371–394. https://doi.org/10.22437/HOME.V7I2.387
Muhammad, A. (2018). The Restorative Justice Approach to the Implementation of Children’s Criminal Justice System in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Keimigrasian, 1(2), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.52617/JIKK.V1I2.32
Noor, A. (2023). Socio-Legal Research: Integration of Normative and Empirical Juridical Research in Legal Research. Jurnal Ilmiah Dunia Hukum, 7(2), 94–112. https://doi.org/10.56444/JIDH.V7I2.3154
Panu, A., Moonti, R. M., & Ahmad, I. (2025). Reformasi Sistem Peradilan Pidana Anak di Indonesia Antara Diversi, Restoratif, dan Perlindungan Hak Anak. Politika Progresif : Jurnal Hukum, Politik Dan Humaniora, 2(2), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.62383/PROGRES.V2I2.1885
Priambada, B. S. (2023). The Urgency of Restorative Justice Regarding Customary Criminal Violations: Harmonization Between Customary and National Criminal Laws. Pena Justisia: Media Komunikasi Dan Kajian Hukum, 22(3), 847–862. https://doi.org/10.31941/PJ.V22I3.3514
Putri, K. A., & Susilawati, Y. (2025). Harmonization of Diversion Regulations In Juvenile Criminal Cases to Achieve Social Justice For Children In Conflict With The Law. Indonesian Journal of Law and Justice, 2(4), 9–9. https://doi.org/10.47134/IJLJ.V2I4.4454
Putri, R., & Priamsari, A. (2018). Mencari Hukum yang Berkeadilan bagi Anak Melalui Diversi. LAW REFORM, 14(2), 220–235. https://doi.org/10.14710/LR.V14I2.20869
Roberts, J. (2018). Reducing the Use of Custody as a Sanction: Tackling Prison Overcrowding, 103–122. https://doi.org/10.2307/J.CTT9QGWFQ.13
Satria, H. (2018). Restorative Justice: Paradigma Baru Peradilan Pidana. Jurnal Media Hukum, 25(1), 111–123. https://doi.org/10.18196/JMH.2018.0107.111-123
Simbolon, N. Y., Titahelu, J. A. S., & Rosmalinda. (2023). Study on the Reconstruction of the Concept of Criminal Sanctions in the Juvenile Justice System. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(10), e1109. https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v11i10.1109
van Zyl Smit, D., Snacken, S., & Hayes, D. (2015). ‘One Cannot Legislate Kindness’: Ambiguities in European Legal Instruments on Non-Custodial Sanctions. Punishment and Society, 17(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474514560186;JOURNAL:JOURNAL:PUNA;WEBSITE:WEBSITE:SAGE;REQUESTEDJOURNAL:JOURNAL:PUNA;WGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Villettaz, P., Gillieron, G., & Killias, M. (2015). The Effects on Re-offending of Custodial vs. Non-custodial Sanctions: An Updated Systematic Review of the State of Knowledge. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 11(1), 1–92. https://doi.org/10.4073/CSR.2015.1
Walton, G. M., Okonofua, J. A., Remington Cunningham, K., Hurst, D., Pinedo, A., Weitz, E., Ospina, J. P., Tate, H., & Eberhardt, J. L. (2021). Lifting the Bar: A Relationship-Orienting Intervention Reduces Recidivism Among Children Reentering School From Juvenile Detention. Psychological Science, 32(11), 1747–1767. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211013801/SUPPL_FILE/SJ-DOCX-1-PSS-10.1177_09567976211013801.DOCX
Wangga, M. S. E., Widjajanti, E., Wulandari, W. R., Ahmad, N., Sabirin, A., Joseph, E., Wijaya, G. V., & Putri, K. A. (2023). Diversion: The Concept of Child Criminal Case Resolution in Indonesia. Law and Humanities Quarterly Reviews, 2(2), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.31014/AIOR.1996.02.02.62
Widowati. (2024). The Future of Children in the Criminal Justice System: Restorative or Retributive Approach. West Science Law and Human Rights, 2(04), 379–388. https://doi.org/10.58812/WSLHR.V2I04.1308
Wulan, Z., & Prameswari, A. W. (2017). Ratifikasi Konvensi tentang Hak-Hak Anak dalam Sistem Peraturan Perundang-Undangan di Indonesia. Yuridika, 32(1), 167–188. https://doi.org/10.20473/YDK.V32I1.4842
Young, S., Greer, B., & Church, R. (2017). Juvenile Delinquency, Welfare, Justice and Therapeutic Interventions: A Global Perspective. BJPsych Bulletin, 41(1), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1192/PB.BP.115.052274
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sudirman Sitepu, Zico Junius Fernando, Wevy Efticha Sary, Vicko Taniady
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=small}
