Restorative Justice in Prisons

Source: London: Restorative Justice Consortium. Downloaded 19 April 2005.

The potential for restorative justice in prisons is considerable. It should not however be seen as a tool towards reducing recidivism but as a means towards empowering offenders to take responsibility for their actions and to make amends to their victims and their communities. Nor should the work be entered into without much preparation and careful planning, based on experience. The Prison Service cannot carry out this work on our own but we should consult with practitioners in the outside community where there is increasing expertise in the process. There is a growing movement of practitioners in our colleague criminal justice partners who can help us.

To build a consensus that prisons can become more restorative cannot be done without this partnership. The offering of support may have to come from the community with an expectation that prisons can be true places of healing and transformation for the community as well as those directly affected by crime – victims and offenders. (excerpt)