Institutionalising Social Repair: A Meso-Level Conceptual Framework Linking Restorative Justice and Social Cohesion

The process of institutionalizing restorative justice within European criminal justice systems marks a fundamental shift inthe sociology of punishment and social control, redefining the categories of offence, responsibility, and participation. However,academic literature remains fragmented between micro-sociological analyses of restorative interactions and macro-legal perspectiveson procedural reforms, obscuring the institutional mechanisms that enable restorative principles to become established as instrumentsof social integration. This article aims to bridge this theoretical gap by introducing the concept of Institutional Social Repair (ISR) as ameso-level sociological framework. ISR is defined as the capacity of justice systems to function as ‘relational infrastructures’,designed to facilitate the reconstruction of social bonds severed by crime through structured processes of recognition andaccountability. Through an analysis of the Italian case (Legislative Decree 150/2022 – the Cartabia Reform), taken as a sociologicallaboratory, the article examines the three constituent dimensions of ISR – institutional capacity, relational governance, and civiclegitimacy – demonstrating how restorative justice can evolve from an experimental practice into a public function aimed atregenerating trust and organic solidarity. Ultimately, this work proposes a rethinking of the role of institutions in fragmented societies,conceptualising justice not merely as a system of sanctions, but as a mechanism for maintaining and repairing the social fabric.