Use of Restorative Justice By PC Kev Reevey Sefton Y.O.T.

What do we do with young people when they do something wrong? What course of action is taken by Schools The Police

Victims still feel left out They feel their views are not taken into account They sometimes want to ask questions i.e. why them? Find it difficult to move on – when dealt with like this

Offenders don’t often see or understand the impact on victims They often give little or no explanation They don’t often grasp the lasting effects on victims They don’t show any emotion or apologize

The Prison Reform Trust : Aug 2012 Prison population at record levels (88,000) 57% of adults who serve less than a year reoffend Almost 70% of 10-17 year olds released from custody re-offend within a year

RJ is not a new idea It’s practices and ideas have been used in many cultures such as the maori’s, north american indians and in africa

RJ brings together the person harmed

With ‘wrongdoers’ The suspects or offenders are called the ‘wrongdoers’ This is to try to emphasize that we are addressing their behaviour at the time

With supporters of both sides

Parents & Families

Teachers

To try to repair the damage

Thereby restoring the balance

Types of RJ Formal Conference Can accommodate a large number of participants Can be very powerful and emotional Takes time to organise but outcome usually very succesful

Restorative meeting Quicker to organise Addresses the issues quicker Less formal Can be very succesful

Circle Time Allows everyone to express the feelings and listen to others in turn

RJ effectiveness more likely if: Buy in by senior management Willingness by people involved to take part & contribute Acknowledgement / remorse / apology by wrongdoer Good prep undertaken

Effectiveness – less likely: No senior level buy in Inadequate prep by facilitator Poor attitude by participants Poor time management Wrongdoer perceived as insincere

Benefits of using Restorative Justice [R.J.]

The end Thanks for listening Any questions?