From supporting victims of crime to cope and recover, to helping perpetrators to lead pro-social lives, Restorative Justice has proven to be a valuable tool – one that extends beyond traditional approaches – in helping people move forward. This Restorative Justice (RJ) Week, (17th – 23rd November 2024), we explore how we’re implementing RJ across public services to build stronger, safer communities.
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice (RJ) is an approach to addressing crime and conflict, with a focus on resolution and accountability. It involves a form of communication between parties with a stake in a specific offence, working collectively to move on. Irrespective of the age, background and setting, within Catch22’s work across the criminal justice sector we’ve seen RJ be a proven approach that helps our services drive meaningful rehabilitation, support victims, and ultimately create safer and more positive environments.
Restorative Justice in custody
In settings such as HMP Thameside, in which Catch22 delivers the Offender Management Unit (OMU), the application of RJ demonstrates its potential to transform the culture within custodial environments. In March 2024, Catch22 launched an RJ pilot program in response to feedback from service users expressing a strong interest in understanding and practising restorative approaches. The initiative engages both staff and prisoners in building a rehabilitative culture rooted in accountability, conflict resolution, and relationship repair. What sets this approach apart is, as well as the direct delivery of RJ, the pilot’s commitment to tailored training and support. Key initiatives include:
- Training staff and peer mentors: Equipping staff and voluntary Restorative Practice Champions, who have demonstrated skills in managing conflicts proactively and promoting positive relationships, with the foundational knowledge they need to practice restorative approaches.
“I attended the Restorative Practitioner’s training course, which was focused on how to approach restorative conversations with the end goal of creating a restorative environment. From this training, I strongly believe that using a restorative approach will help us get to the root causes of certain issues so that we can reduce violence and create a more positive community within our establishments. I have seen where just by asking restorative questions I’ve had a better response from individuals that I’m working with.” – Training recipient
- Collaboration with departments: The pilot programme works closely with various teams within the prison to ensure a cohesive approach to violence reduction and support for restorative practices, that isn’t just siloed to certain parts or processes within the prison.
- Conflict resolution and mediation: The pilot delivers direct support for resolving conflicts and mediating issues, which helps maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.
The ultimate goal is to embed restorative principles into everyday interactions. This approach shifts the focus from punitive measures towards rehabilitative ones. The result is a safer, more supportive community within the prison .
“The team also includes a Restorative Practice Lead who facilitates conflict resolution and mediation, as well as supporting the prison in the resolution of violent incidents. [Catch22] are working with prison managers to recruit, train and support prisoners to be restorative practice champions, who will help to defuse potential tensions on the wings and improve prisoner/officer relationships. The Board welcomes this initiative.” – IMB Annual Report of HMP Thameside, November 2024
Restorative Justice Training in the Community
Out in the community, Catch22 works to upskill a wide variety of its services in RJ, such as its colleges and community rehabilitation services, through its Gangs and Violence Reduction Training offer; a training series aimed at supporting and developing professionals who engage with people affected by violence.
After recognising the benefit that RJ could provide with this cohort, this training has been developed to include Restorative Practice and Restorative Justice Facilitator training to a Level 2 standard, a three-day course, which gives participants the tools to execute the restorative justice process from beginning to end. This includes the initial assessment, including risk assessing and support for both parties, possible face-to-face restorative conference or shuttle conferencing and letters, supporting parties to decide the right outcomes for them and aftercare.
Following the course, participants feel more confident in resolving smaller conflicts through restorative principles and conversational techniques and supporting service users with any conflict either through the restorative justice process or offering support alongside it. The staff members that have completed the Level 2 RJ training can offer their teams and service users a better understanding and transparency around the process.
9/10 participants said the training was very good or excellent
100% participants leave the training with a good understanding of Restorative Practice techniques and how they can improve service users relationships
Restorative Justice through Victim services
Finally, delivery of RJ across Catch22’s victim services – where the term and practice is probably the most familiar – has been critical in helping our services achieve positive outcomes for those they support.
Catch22’s victim services in Leicestershire and Hertfordshire are transforming how crime and conflict are addressed through Restorative Justice (RJ). Through these services’ RJ offer, victims have the opportunity to share the impact of crime in a safe, structured environment guided by trained restorative justice caseworkers. Simultaneously, the process allows harmers can take responsibility for their actions, whereby the services work with offenders in prisons to facilitate RJ interventions. Whether addressing anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood disputes or other offences, restorative justice offers an alternative to punitive measures. This can also include work with families where the impact of an offence has caused a breakdown in relationship.
In the New Year, Leicestershire Victim First will be starting a programme to promote and implement restorative practices in schools, particularly aimed at those who have been, or are at risk of becoming, excluded. Restorative interventions will involve working directly with young person to help them manage conflicts with others (such as other students or staff members) and facilitating restorative work such as circle discussions and meetings, letter writing etc. This programme will offer schools an alternative, restorative way of thinking about addressing discipline and resolving conflict, as well as shift their approach away from punishment and towards repairing harm and rebuilding relationships.
Conclusion
Restorative Justice is a powerful tool that goes beyond traditional punitive measures. Whether through training, conflict resolution, or victim services, implementing RJ principles across custodial and community settings can offer a means of supporting victims and perpetrators to move forward, and strengthening communities to create a safer society. As we reflect during Restorative Justice Week, let’s continue to champion these practices and make RJ accessible “here, there, and everywhere.”