The History of Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice gives victims of crime the opportunity to meet or communicate with the offender to discuss the impact of the crime and how it has affected their life which can bring a sense of closure and understanding. It has a proven, significant impact in supporting victims of crime in moving on with their lives, but where did the practice originate?

In the late 1990s, Sir Charles Pollard introduced Restorative Justice as an effective policing tool while he was chief constable of the Thames Valley Police. From this point, it began to gain credibility across the UK.

The government’s investment of £7m in a seven-year research programme to examine the impact of RJ on adult offenders highlighted the benefits to both victims and reoffending rates. This gave budget holders the evidence they needed to invest in Restorative Justice services, and in 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) committed to integrating Restorative Justice across the criminal justice system in its paper. A new legislation for pre-sentence restorative justice followed and the MOJ’s plan to increase awareness of Restorative Justice.

Since RJ has risen in credibility, the Restorative Justice Council (RJC) stated that they have seen attitudes towards the practice change dramatically across the UK and that, rather than being seen as “soft and fluffy”, it has become an integrated part of the criminal justice system.

85% of victims who have participated in Restorative Justice would recommend it to others. Restorative Solutions also conducted a study of 139 harmers who engaged in the Restorative Justice process during 2022-23 which suggested that Restorative Justice reduced the frequency of reoffending by 86%. Of the 139 harmers, 120 did not reoffend.

With continued support and investment from the government, the future is looking bright for Restorative Justice. If you’re a victim of crime and think it could be of help to you, get in touch with our friendly team to find out more.