Combining qualitative research, personal experience, and scholarly literature Ross Green looks at the evolution of the Canadian criminal justice system and the values upon which it is based against the Aboriginal concepts of justice. Using his personal experiences as a defence lawyer, case studies of several communities, as well as interviews with judges, prosecutors, community leaders, and participants in sentencing circles, sentencing panels, and mediation committees, Green approaches the criminal justice system from multiple angles. Against this backdrop, he analyzes the successes of and challenges to the innovative sentencing approaches currently evolving in Aboriginal communities.

Ross Green practiced law as a defence lawyer for many years in several of the communities described in this book, and has advocated for the kind of sentencing alternatives he describes. In 2004, he was appointed a judge of the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan. He holds a degree in commerce, a Bachelor of Laws degree, and a Master of Laws degree. He is also co-author of Tough on Kids: Rethinking Approaches to Youth Justice (Saskatoon: Purich Publishing, 2003). This latter book was awarded the Saskatchewan Book Awards prize for scholarly writing.

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