Website of the Month: New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.
New South Wales (NSW) Restorative Justice Unit, a section of the NSW Department of Corrective Services, was created in 1999 as a pilot project to provide Victim-Offender Conferencing and Mediation services. Links within the website explain the philosophy and practice of restorative justice as a course of action designed to repair damage done as a result of criminal or anti-social acts.
The information provided includes:
What is restorative justice? discusses the values and procedures of restorative justice processes, the intended objectives, where and when the mediation services can be pursued, and to whom a victim can turn for guidance in initiating such a process.
Frequently Ask Questions answers questions like
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What is meant by the term "restorative justice"?
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How does that make restorative justice different from the usual way justice is done?
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Why would this be a better way than simply punishing the offender?
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Isn't there a possibility that offenders would use restorative justice to reduce their sentence?
The website also gives information on NSW legislation on Victims’ Rights - specifically the Victims Rights Act, 1996 - and on the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 that established the Victims Register. The Register affords a victim the opportunity to officially record his or her interests in a particular criminal case so as to qualify for certain notifications by the Department of Corrective Service on the status of the offender. To aid interested parties, a Victims Register Application Form can be downloaded.
Susan Sheldon
October 2002
