Restorative Justice ...

Restorative Justice is a theory of justice that focuses on crime and wrongdoing as acted against the individual, or community, rather than the state. In restorative justice processes, the person who has harmed takes responsibility for their actions and the person who has been harmed may take a central role in the process, in many instances receiving an apology and reparation directly or indirectly from the person who has caused them harm.

Restorative processes which foster dialog between offender and victim show the highest rates of victim satisfaction, true accountability by the offender, and reduced recidivism. At LT&RC we train in restorative approaches.

You may have heard of Restorative Justice, which, as a judicial process has been used effectively in the criminal justice system. Restorative Justice brings perpetrators and victims together to communicate and agree how to deal with incidents and their consequences.

LT&RC has been looking at ways that a Restorative Approach can be used effectively in settings other than criminal justice, such as dealing with anti-social behaviour or neighbour disputes.

Disagreements and conflict happens: In the community, in the workplace, in education. A restorative approach encourages people to look at the motivation and reasons behind their behaviour and in so doing encourages and empowers people to change it. It is a creative way of problem-solving and puts an emphasis on repairing the harm that may have been done.

Bringing parties together in this way helps improve relationships as it looks to resolve rather than punish. It leaves no room for misunderstandings, or assumptions, because the people involved are fully engaged in discussions and problem-solving. Anyone working in neighbourhoods may find this a helpful way to deal with conflicts at an early stage and it is increasingly being used in educational settings.

LT&RC, in conjunction with our Neighbourhood Alliance partners, has developed an interactive training package with a nationally recognised certificate to provide practitioner training in the use of a Restorative Approach. This accredited course will be launched in February and, using case studies, practical experience and reflective learning will cover Restorative Approaches: their benefits & limitations, skills development, and how to use a restorative conflict management process.

Participants on the course will be able to assess and improve their own skills and gain practical experience in using the methods in a safe learning environment.