Published: 21 March 2005
Restorative Justice Guide
Criminal Justice Minister Baroness Scotland has published a new guide on restorative justice for local police forces, prosecutors and offender managers.
Restorative justice is an approach to delivering justice which is intended to:
- encourage offenders to take responsibility for their actions
- repair the harm they have caused, and
- help victims recover & put the incident behind them.
Restorative justice brings victims and offenders into communication, either face to face or indirectly, through a trained facilitator.
It is always optional for victims.
Research shows that
over three quarters of victims who take part, benefit from the process, taking the chance to tell the offender the impact of the offence, and have their questions answered about what happened.
For many victims, the benefits include feeling safer and the chance of direct compensation and/or a personal apology from the offender if they want.
The guide explains how restorative justice can work every stage of the criminal justice system to help to meet existing CJS priorities.
It focuses particularly on increasing victim satisfaction and public confidence in the CJS, and
offers tools & advice for agencies that want to implement the approach in their own area.
Speaking today at the Restorative Justice Conference Annual Conference in London, Baroness Scotland said:
"Restorative justice encourages all of us involved in the criminal justice system to see justice in a new light. In many cases it helps victims of crime have a say in what happens to an offender.
It can also be part of the rehabilitation process for offenders themselves.
Restorative justice is about helping every victim get over the crime they've suffered. When a victim chooses to meet the offender it often helps them feel safer and more satisfied that justice has been done."
Restorative justice is already widely used in youth justice and it can be used in a variety of settings for adult offenders:
- either by police, including when someone is cautioned or as part of measures to tackle anti-social behaviour;
- or for convicted offenders before or after sentencing.
Further information
Guide - Restorative Justice: Helping to meet local needs
Government's Restorative Justice Strategy and other related documents including Best practice guidance
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