University of Ulster and
Restorative Practices
Hugh Campbell, Tim Chapman and
Derick Wilson
SOME RESTORATIVE TASKS
EASE WITH DIFFERENT OTHERS
REDUCING SOCIAL INEQUALITY
THE OTHER AS A GIFT
NOT A THREAT
OR
AN ENEMY OUT TO KILL ME
“HAVING A SECURE PLACE”
OTHERS
ME
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER-PERSONALLY AND STRUCTURALLY
THE VICTIM PAYS
“They are all together:
I am all alone”
Scapegoating
SEPARATION
AVOIDANCE
Dynamics of Avoidance and
Politeness
POLITENESS
MEETING
TOGETHER
The Balanced Model
Community
Community safety and reintegration
Harm
Person responsible for harm
Reducing risk and working
towards a better life
Injured party
Accountability, protection
and repairing the harm
Key Needs
Safety
Justice
Control
Systems of recovery
Meaning
My story of what happened
The feelings that arise from
what happened.
The needs that arise from these
feelings
What I want
(Goals)
Control
The ability to manage
adversity
through personal and
external resources
(Resilience)
Connectedness
The availability of
support
from close
relationships and
networks
(Social Capital)
The Restorative Practices
Storytelling
Expression of emotion
Dialogue
Respect
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Really
Expecting to
See
Potential
Even when
Concealed or
Trapped
Northern Ireland and Restorative
Practices
•
•
•
•
•
Community – peace-building
Community – anti-social behaviour
Criminal Justice System
Families and children
Schools
Northern Ireland and Restorative Justice
Community system
• Community restorative justice Ireland
• Alternatives NI
State system
• Low risk – Police restorative cautioning
• Medium risk – Public Prosecution Service referral for diversionary
conference by Youth Conference Service
• High risk – Youth Court referral by Youth Conference Service
• Priority young offenders programme
• Prison Service – rehabilitation and resettlement
Youth Conference Service
•
•
•
•
Diploma in Restorative Practices
National Training Award
Priority Young Offenders programme
RESPECT programme
Outcomes for Youth Conferences
• Number of youth conferences 8000 +
• Over 40.000 people have participated in a youth conference
• Victim attendance; 74%
• Victim and young person satisfaction; 90% and 95%
• 9 out of 10 victims prefer the youth conference to the traditional court
process
• 94% successful completion of plans
• Reoffending 37.7 %
• Reoffending for all community disposals 52.1%
Prisons
• Certificate in Restorative Practices
• Restorative approach to resettlement of high
risk prisoners
• Influence on the design of the new prison
Schools
•
•
•
•
Awareness training
Champions’ group trained in conferences
Peer mediation training
Ongoing bullying resolved
Children’s Units Programme
Indicators
2006
2007
Absconding
96
39
Total
incidents
recorded
Violent incident
reports
Includes all
incidents of
restraint
Incidents
of
restraints
Police
involvement
(excluding
absconding)
130
66
36
25
19
17
55
36
Cost savings
• The cost of a youth conference in Northern Ireland is
around £1500.
• Reduces court time, legal aid, the use of custody, harm
to victims and further offending
• The number of young people sentenced to custody
reduced from 139 in 2003 to 89 in 2006.
• The percentage of young people sent into custody in
Northern Ireland reduced from 10% in 2004 to 7% in
2006.
• The ratio of 10-17 in NI sentenced to custody in 2006
was 1:2265. In England and Wales it was 1:760.
The role of the University of Ulster
• Learning and practice development
• Organisational capacity building
• Civic society - Supporting a restorative
network
• Research and development
University Programmes
• Undergraduate level Certificate – three
modules
• Postgraduate Certificate – three modules
• Postgraduate Diploma – six modules
• Masters – dissertation or taught
• Short courses
Course participation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Open Course 23 students
Youth Conference Service 50 students
Police Service 80 + students
Community Restorative Justice 32 students
Prison Service 18 Students
Youth Justice Agency 18 Students
Priority Young Offenders Programme 12 Students
Family Group Conferences 30 Students
New programme
• Foundation skills
• Reflecting on RP
• Responding restoratively to
people who have been harmed
• Responding restoratively to
people responsible for harm
• Becoming an Advanced
Practitioner
• Family group conference practice
and processes
• Promoting a restorative society
• Restorative responses to sexual
harm
• Restorative responses to serious
and persistent harmful behaviour
• The restorative prison
• The restorative school
• The restorative community
• The restorative organisation
• The restorative children’s home
• Restorative practices and faith
organisations
Contact
Ha.campbell@ulster.ac.uk
Tj.chapman@ulster.ac.uk
Da.wilson@ulster.ac.uk
Family Group Conferences
• Used widely by Health and Social Care Trusts throughout
Northern Ireland
• Evaluation 2005 Homefirst Community Trust, NI
 Effectively managed and adheres to standards
 Independent
 Highly child centred
 Families arrive at their own solutions
 Decision making is aided by increased access to information
 Promotes partnership with families
 Highly transferable model
 Cost effective way of avoiding statutory intervention