Source: (2004) Te Ara Whakatika: Newsletter of the court-referred restorative justice project. Winter 2004. Issue 22. Downloaded 8 February 2005.
A community-based restorative justice programme that involves groups of crime victims meeting with groups of offenders is to be introduced to prisons in Palmerston North, Wanganui and Invercargill over the next six months. The Sycamore Tree programme, run by the Prison Fellowship of New Zealand, has been operating successfully at Hawke’s Bay Prison for the last three years.’We’ve had glowing feedback from our participants,’ says Jackie Katounas, who has been facilitating the programme in Hastings. The Department of Corrections is funding an extension of the programme into Manawatu Prison from August, Wanganui Prison from September, and Invercargill Prison from November. The voluntary programme involves groups of six inmates and six victims of unrelated crimes coming together for eight two-hour sessions. (excerpt)
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