Restorative Justice Service in Christchurch

The RJS's is guided by the belief that the community should own restorative justice; meaning that the community and victims should decide how restorative justice is applied. Because of this belief, the RJS focuses on the needs of victims and communities with offenders being secondary. This principle has an impact on the way RJS receives and accepts cases:

• RJS accepts referrals from any source.

• RJS will consider any type of offence for conferencing. The focus is placed on the people involved and not on the offense. They only require that both victim and offender be willing to participate in the process.

• RJS does not require a guilty plea, only full acceptance of responsibility by the offender and an understanding from the victim that a plea has not been entered.

• RJS will accept cases at any stage of the sentence from before the offender is charged through the completion of a sentence. 

RJS uses the community group conference process to repair the damage done by crime.  This process can involve several people including the offender, the victim, supporters for each, facilitators, and members of the community. The goal is to meet the needs of the victim –for empowerment, answers to questions, and justice- on the path to healing while encouraging offenders to take responsibility for their actions. 

The scope of RJS’s works is seen in the types of cases conferenced and the origin of referrals. In a case summary covering the period of January –December 2001, the RJS received a total of 77 referrals form different groups.  The handling of these cases is broken down by:

• 15 not accepted by RJS

• 25 not accepted by victim or offender

• 30 completed

• 7 in progress at tome of the report.

 

Referrals were made by:

•  Victim Advisors                      23

•  Solicitors                               19

•  Prisons                                    8

•  Probation Service                     8

•  Courts                                     7

•  Victims                                     5

•  Offenders                                 3

•  Other                                        4 

Types of crimes conferenced included:

• Various kinds of assault                            17

• Male assaults female                                  8

• Various driving offenses                            11 

• Various kinds of theft                                 14

• Sexual Abuse/Rape/offensive behavior          4

• Burglary/ Break and enter                            8

• Murder/kidnapping/manslaughter                10

• Intentional damage Robbery                         5

A victim follow-up survey from June 2000 to November 2001 showed positive reactions to the community group conference. Of the 49 responses gained, 92 percent of the 49 respondents felt that the community group conference should be a standard part of the criminal justice system as a voluntary option for victims.  24 percent found it somewhat helpful to meet with the offender, while another 67 percent found it very helpful. Only 4 percent felt that it was not helpful at all with the final 4 percent declining comment. 

Currently, RJS is building networks and seeking ways to develop the capacity to meet the growing demand for restorative justice. 

 

By Lynette Parker

June  2002