Record number of Restorative Justice disposals

More than 600 crimes in Greater Manchester were dealt with by Restorative Justice in the past month - a record number for Greater Manchester Police.

During October, hundreds of people across the county embraced the benefits of using Restorative Justice as part of the Force's commitment to putting the victim's needs at the heart of tackling crime.

In the last year alone, from October 2010 to October 2011, there have been 4,348 Restorative Justice disposals in Greater Manchester and in October alone, 600 crimes were dealt with by Restorative Justice.

A recent survey by GMP of people who had used Restorative Justice revealed nearly 85 percent were satisfied and a further 11 percent very satisfied by the service they had received.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: "I am absolutely delighted to see that 600 crimes have been dealt with by Restorative Justice in the past month. It shows that not only are officers really grasping how to use RJ, but that more and more victims of crime are realising what a positive impact it can have.

"Restorative Justice is all about repairing the harm someone has caused and giving victims more of a say in how an offender is dealt with. It is about putting what the victim wants at the heart of how we respond and giving them that voice.

"I firmly believe that Restorative Justice is a slow-burning revolution that will ultimately reduce crime and reoffending rates and I’m delighted that so many people in Greater Manchester are seeing the benefits."

Restorative Justice works by making offenders directly accountable to victims of crimes such as criminal damage, minor assaults and shoplifting. Working with police, schools and community-based organisations, victims can decide whether the offender should be subject to the traditional arrest and charge approach or asked to put matters right in a way the victim suggests.

Examples have included vandals cleaning up graffiti, written apologies, compensation and even visits to police cells to show how harsh life behind bars is.

Almost two thirds of all restorative justice disposals in Greater Manchester have involved victims and offenders being brought face-to-face, allowing those affected to really hammer home what they have been through. Because of this personal connection, offenders have shown genuine remorse, taken responsibility for their actions and seen first-hand the error of their ways.

The Force is also looking at offenders involved in the summer disorder who have already been jailed to see if they would be prepared to meet with the shopkeeper's whose livelihoods they threatened while still in prison, so they can hear how their actions personally affected their victims.

Ministry of Justice research also shows that Restorative Justice reduces reoffending by 14 percent. It stops young people getting criminal records for very minor offences at a young age - which can stigmatise them and enter a spiral of offending for years to come - as well as encouraging them not to reoffend.

"Restorative Justice empowers victims and communities," said Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan. "If they want to pursue a traditional arrest and charge approach, we will fully support them.

"But for many this achieves nothing and the feedback we are getting is that it can be far more powerful for a victim to meet an offender face-to-face and say 'why me?' I have had offenders say to me they wished they'd accepted a caution because coming face-to-face with someone they have harmed is a rough ride. This really forces them to front up to what they have done and learn their lessons.

"What is also exciting is that more and more victims are asking offenders to put something positive back into their community as punishment. That is giving the offender the opportunity to become part of that community again, giving them a sense of belonging rather than the alienation of a traditional criminal justice system outcome, and just as importantly satisfying what the community is telling us."