Does Restorative Justice always happen face-to-face?

No. There is more than one way to carry out Restorative Justice.

Many people choose to take part in Restorative Justice face-to-face because they are able to have a conversation in real-time, asking questions and getting a response straight away. This is called direct Restorative Justice.

Some people don’t want to have a face-to-face Restorative Justice conference because they might feel afraid, the offender is in prison in a town far away, or they simply don’t feel it’s necessary. This is when we would use indirect Restorative Justice methods.

Restorative Justice that doesn’t happen face-to-face is called indirect Restorative Justice. There are lots of indirect Restorative Justice options, including letter writing, video calls, phone calls, video recordings, and audio recordings.

We have seen great success with all of these indirect methods and each has its own merits. For example, some people prefer video calls because they can exit the meeting in just one click if they begin to feel uncomfortable.

Similarly, someone might prefer to write a letter because they feel that they can express themselves better that way. In cases where the victim or the offender has problems with literacy, they might prefer to do an audio recording. Everyone is different and there are options to suit everyone.

All Restorative Justice conferences, whether they’re direct or indirect, are thoroughly prepared for in advance. Our RJ Facilitators will meet with the victim and the offender ahead of time to talk about the offense, what they want from Restorative Justice, any fears they might have, what expectations they have, and how the meeting can be made as comfortable and productive as possible.

Click here to find out more about Restorative Justice.