Experts boost support for restorative justice

Leading criminologists want the government to create a Restorative Justice Board to work closely with the courts in promoting restorative justice (RJ) across the UK.

The board would make RJ programmes available in all areas of the country, set standards and monitor outcomes, and would report to the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

The benefits of RJ are set out in Restorative Justice: The Evidence, a report published this week by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Smith Institute, which finds that many violent criminals are less likely to commit further offences after participating in an RJ programme.
The report says that crime victims’ post-traumatic stress symptoms are reduced by RJ, and that the number of offences dealt with away from the courts could be doubled.

The research used 36 direct comparisons between RJ and conventional criminal justice, and found that in at least two tests RJ reduced recidivism more than prison; substantially reduced repeat offending for some offenders but not all; reduced the costs of justice when used as diversion from conventional means of justice; and doubled the offences brought to justice as diversion from conventional criminal justice.

Sir Charles Pollard, formerly Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and chair of the steering group overseeing the research, says: “Offenders often say that RJ is much more challenging than our traditional justice system, and this provides the proof. We now need a properly resourced implementation board...to drive its implementation so that it becomes a normal part of our justice system across the country.”