How Do Restorative Justice Referrals Work?
Posted on: 19th, January 2024
There are a variety of ways that victims and offenders can be referred to Restorative Solutions. It’s important to note that as Restorative Justice is voluntary, both parties have to agree to participate for the process to go ahead.
Self referrals
If you’ve been involved in a crime, as the offender or victim, and would like to participate in Restorative Justice, you can contact Restorative Solutions to find out more about how the process could help you.
It’s important to highlight that for cases of sexual abuse, we only accept victim-led referrals.
External referrals for victims
Victims might be referred to Restorative Solutions by
- Victim Support or Victim Liaison Officers
- Support agencies - for example, charities that offer counselling or support following a sexual offence
- GPs
External referrals for offenders
External referrals for offenders may come from
- Police officers
- Probation officers
- Prison officers
Restorative Solutions offers training and information sessions for support agencies so that teams can understand what Restorative Justice is and identify when it might be beneficial for victims and offenders.
For instance, when a Victim Support volunteer is speaking to a victim who is saying things like "I just have so many questions", or "I just don't understand why this happened", they can explain how Restorative Solutions could be a suitable way to get the answers to these questions.
Likewise with offenders, support agencies can be listening out for things like "I didn't realise", "I wish I could undo it", "I don't feel good about what happened" and introduce the possibility of Restorative Justice as a way to make amends, or apologise to the victim.
If you would like to discuss Restorative Justice, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
