Restorative justice: What I learnt from volunteering – and why it matters for violence reduction

In 2025, I used some of my Claremont volunteering days to work with Why me?,  a charity widening access to restorative justice (RJ). RJ connects those harmed by crime with those responsible for the harm, enabling everyone affected to play a part in reparation and finding a positive way forward.

As a former prison officer, I already knew how little the system offers in terms of meaningful progression and rehabilitation. RJ offers something different: support for victim-survivors and families, and the conditions for real accountability and rehabilitation for offenders, beyond the sentence itself.

RJ isn’t new. But the way we think about it, and who it’s for, might need a refresh. Because while it’s traditionally been used after harm has happened, there’s a strong case for applying its principles earlier – in classrooms, community centres, police stations and youth services. Anywhere people are trying to reduce harm and build trust.

Here are three things RJ gets right, and why they matter for anyone working in safety.

1. Accountability over punishment

Too often, when we talk about consequences, what we really mean is punishment: fines, bans, or prison time. RJ takes a different approach – it puts the focus on accountability. In a restorative process, someone who has caused harm is encouraged to face what they’ve done, understand its impact on others, and actively make amends, rather than just passively serving a punishment. Although uncomfortable, this can be hugely impactful.

Research in the UK has shown that offenders who went through face-to-face restorative conferences had significantly lower reoffending rates – 22% fewer reconvictions – compared to similar offenders dealt with only by courts. In New Zealand, most youth offending is dealt with through family group conferences, with research showing reduced reoffending, increased victim-survivor satisfaction, and young people diverted from court and custody.

In Avon & Somerset, a group of teenagers vandalised a woman’s property. Instead of a fine or caution, they took part in a restorative process where they read a letter from the victim-survivor. The teenagers hadn’t realised the extent of the harm they’d caused, and wrote back. The victim-survivor, who had initially declined a face-to-face meeting, said the process helped her feel heard and let go of anger. The young people said it made them reflect on their behaviour and understand the consequences in a way they hadn’t before.

The evidence is clear: when people who cause harm truly grasp the human impact and try to repair it, it can break the cycle of reoffending.

2. Victim-survivors at the centre

Another lesson from RJ is putting victim-survivors at the heart of the process. In the conventional criminal justice system, those harmed often have a limited role – they give a statement and the system takes over, with the outcome mainly focused on the offender. RJ changes this by giving those affected by crime a chance to voice their experience, ask questions, and express what they need for healing.

An overwhelming majority of victim-survivors who engage in RJ come away feeling satisfied; one UK government evaluation found 85% were satisfied with face-to-face restorative conferences, and nearly as many would recommend it to others. Victim-survivors are also less likely to suffer post-traumatic stress symptoms after a RJ meeting – one study found almost half the rate of post-traumatic stress symptoms among those who participated in a restorative conference compared to those who went through court alone. In short, being heard is a form of justice for many victim-survivors.

Some police forces and charities facilitate dialogues between DUI offenders and those injured by drunk driving. In a MADD Canada survey of victim-survivors of impaired driving, 40% said they would have participated in a RJ process if given the opportunity. And those who did take part in such meetings reported feeling significantly less anger and fear afterwards, with the process being described as “the best thing [they] had ever done” for their healing.

3. Community as part of the solution

Finally, RJ shows that building safer communities is a collective effort. Crime isn’t an individual problem, it ripples out to families, streets, and neighbourhoods. Traditional justice often boils down to two sides (offender vs. state, with the victim-survivor on the sidelines) and a top-down decision. Restorative approaches bring in a wider circle. They create a dialogue involving not just the harmer and harmed, but sometimes families, friends, police officers, and community members. This collaborative approach can uncover root causes and prevent conflicts from escalating in ways that punitive measures might not.

Restorative community conferencing and mediation have been used to defuse local tensions that could otherwise lead to crime. For instance, Restorative Solutions have helped set up community problem-solving panels to tackle persistent neighbour disputes. Instead of serving noise abatement notices or making arrests when arguments turned ugly, trained facilitators bring residents together in a controlled setting. Neighbours air grievances, listen to each other’s perspectives, and collaboratively restore peace.

Similarly, some schools and youth services use restorative approaches to address fights, bullying, and misbehaviour. Rather than immediately suspending students (fuelling further alienation and conflict), teachers and trained peer mediators facilitate group discussions about what happened, who was affected, and how to make amends. Schools that adopt these restorative practices have reported improved student behaviour and fewer exclusions, contributing to safer, more inclusive school communities. In the long term, that means fewer young people falling into violence and the school-to-prison pipeline.

RJ doesn’t have to wait until after something’s gone wrong. The same principles – accountability, listening to those affected, and involving the wider community – can be used earlier. Whether you’re working in youth intervention or fighting anti-social behaviour, restorative approaches can add a powerful tool to your kit. The opportunity is to embed these practices upstream – not as a replacement for enforcement, but to prevent harm before it happens.