£300,000 funding for Restorative Justice
Devon and Cornwall police are to get £300,000 from the government to increase the practice of Restorative Justice as a punishment for some crimes.
Tony Hogg, the Police & Crime Commissioner will be given the funding over the next two years (£114,535 in 2013-14 and £185,000 in 2014-15).
Mr Hogg said: “Restorative justice is in some ways a simple subject and in some ways a complex subject. At the simple end it is a form of mediation, it can be employed in schools. At the upper end it’s more complex; it’s an interaction between victims and the perpetrators.
“But what is so important about it is that it has a useful affect on the reduction on re-offending and 85% of victims that are involved in restorative Justice see it as a useful mechanism and they approve of this mechanism in dealing with the perpetrators. So form a victim’s point of view its higly successful.
“Its also really important that it is a way, where appropriate, to keep people out of the courts and out of prisons. That is, of course saving money apart from anything else, but is a more effective way of dealing with offenders.
“Many of the public have seen out-of-court disposals and restorative justice applied at what they think is the higher end of crime and that might very well be inappropriate. We’ve got to in one hand applaud the advances in Restorative justice as a more sensible way to deal with lower end offenders and at the same time make sure that it isn’t about Police officers taking the easy way out.”
The funding comes as part of a wider programme of Government funding and will see £29m of funding to Police and Crime Commissioners and charities around the UK.
The funding for the restorative justice programme has been taken from funds seized from offenders.
Restorative Justice is a process that brings together victims and offenders, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.
This can take several forms such as letters or face-to-face meetings between victims and offenders. Often this will lead to further actions to be taken; for example reparation.
The meetings allow both parties to benefit as the victim can find closure and move on beyond a potentially life-changing experience. Likewise offenders will see the affects that their actions have on others and is thought to reduce re-offending.
The funding announcement coincides with Restorative Justice Week, which is aimed at raising awareness and understanding of Restorative Justice.
Justice Minister Damian Green said: “Many victims of crime get to see sentences handed down in the courts, but it’s not always enough to help them move on with their lives. Restorative Justice gives victims the opportunity to look offenders in the eye and explain to them the real impact the crime has had on their life.
“The process also provides a chance for offenders to face the consequences of their actions. Restorative Justice is not a soft option and will not lead to offenders escaping punishment. Crimes of a serious nature will continue to be progressed through the courts.
Research shows that Restorative Justice is associated with high levels of victim satisfaction and can also help reduce reoffending by offenders.”
Ministry of Justice research of a number of RJ pilots found that 85% of victims that participated in the conferencing method of Restorative Justice were satisfied with the experience. It also found the process was associated with an estimated 14% reduction in the frequency of re-offending.
