Creggan Community Restorative Justice: An Evaluation and Suggested Way Forward

Source: (2002) Institute for Conflict Research in association with St. Columb’s Park House.

This document represents the findings of a research project begun in February 2001 to evaluate the Creggan Community Restorative Justice project ((Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland). St. Columb’s Park House (SCPH) approached the Institute for Conflict Research (ICR) to conduct the research using participative action research (PAR) methods. In PAR the community under study actively participates with the researcher throughout the research process from the design to the presentation of the findings. This evaluation involved meetings between ICR, SCPH, and a group of young adolescent males to discuss the research, to assist in design of a questionnaire to assess the views and opinions of other young people in the community of the Community Restorative Justice scheme, and to participate in a focus group discussion. Another questionnaire was provided to teachers within the school to ascertain their views, and individual interviews with relevant adults were also conducted. This research report consists of the following: the structure and operation of the Community Restorative Justice scheme; young people’s perspectives; volunteers’ perspectives; local community leaders’ perspectives; victims’ perspectives; and recommendations by ICR for the Creggan Community Restorative Justice project.