Restorative Justice (RJ)

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative Justice (RJ) is a victim centred approach and brings those harmed or affected by crime or conflict and those responsible into communication.

• RJ gives those involved in crime a chance to explain/hear the impact of the harm caused through safe communication, support and encouragement
• Victims can explain how it made them feel, describe the consequences, ask questions, receive an explanation and seek an apology if they wish
• Offenders can take responsibility for their actions, offer an explanation and take steps to repair the harm
• RJ can be direct (a face-to-face conference) or indirect (communication via a facilitator) but is tailored to those involved to ensure the process is safe for all involved
• For RJ to take place, both parties must be willing to participate and the offender has to admit wrongdoing
• RJ progresses at an agreed pace - if/when everyone is ready
• RJ is not a criminal justice outcome but can be used alongside any such outcome, or as a Community Remedy in the Community Resolution process

How is Restorative Justice used in Norfolk & Suffolk?

Restorative Approaches are used in many environments: in schools, communities, children’s homes and in the workplace.  When used alongside the criminal justice system the process is known as Restorative Justice.  RJ is the process of bringing together those harmed (victim) and the harmer (offender) in order for the harm caused, to be addressed and, where possible, repaired.

Individuals can self-refer to our service or professionals from a range of agencies can make a referral on behalf of a victim or offender, as long as they have their consent.  Following receipt of a referral at the RJ Hub, our trained Advisors will make initial enquiries to understand the case and if it is appropriate for RJ.  If suitable, your case may be facilitated by an RJ Advisor from the hub, or a local RJ Practitioner – this may be an RJ trained police officer. The facilitator will always be someone who is adequately trained to the level required for your case. Initial individual meetings are then set up with victim and offender and our risk assessments process is begun. Following this, if agreed by all parties and deemed safe to do so, a restorative process is then agreed – this could be a face-to-face conference, shuttle mediation or a letter of explanation and the preparation stage beings.  Preparation can take place in a single meeting or take many weeks or months.  Once a restorative process has been completed, an outcome agreement might be reached and drawn up; support to complete this and support for individuals can continue after the process for as long as required. Our facilitators may also sign post you to other agencies for different services.

If it is considered that your case is not suitable, either at the referral stage, following initial assessment or at any stage during preparation then we will clearly explain the reasons why and signpost you to another service where possible.

Self-refer to us

Remember… Restorative Justice can take place at any time in your journey of recovery and you should never feel pressured into doing it.

If you would like more information or would like to be considered to take part in Restorative Justice, contact us via email at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Alternatively, partner agencies (such as Victim Support or National Probation Service) are able to make a referral on your behalf, with your consent.

Contact us

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Find out more about Restorative Justice

• The Restorative Justice Council - https://restorativejustice.org.uk/
• Victim Support - http://www.nsvictimcare.org/
• Why Me? - https://why-me.org/
• Gov.uk - https://www.gov.uk/get-support-as-a-victim-of-crime

Victim Testimonials

Hear from some of the victims who have benefited from our Restorative Justice Service.

“I’m just relieved, it helped with everything really. It helped with my family, they could see I felt better.” - Victim of assault and criminal damage, Suffolk.

"I felt comfortable and not pressured. Talking really helped everything. As time went on I felt more able to talk about things and felt much better." - Victim of assault, Norfolk.

“It's a real help to know the person. She was just a name before, a press report and a sentence. Now she is real.” - Victim of burglary, Norfolk.

“I thought it a really useful mechanism for dealing with the situation so positively. I am sure the nature of the process will stick with him [the offender] for a very long time. It's positive, adds value to people’s lives and is real. The whole process was very professional.” - Victim of criminal damage, Suffolk.

FAQs