Frequently Asked Questions

Can Restorative Justice be used for any type of crime?

Yes Restorative Justice can be used for all types of crime, as long as both parties consent to the process, and a trained facilitator decides that it is safe to proceed.

Restorative Justice can take place outside of the criminal justice system. This could be because a crime was committed but no charges were made, or because an incident was harmful but not criminal.

Why would I want to have contact with the person who harmed me?

The majority of victims of crime who go through Restorative Justice find the process beneficial. Many people want to ask questions about the crime. Many want to tell the person responsible what the consequences of their actions were. Many want to ensure that they don’t offend again. To find out more visit – Benefits of Restorative Justice 

Why would I want to have contact with the person who I harmed by my behaviour?

Restorative Justice offers an opportunity to talk about what happened, who has been affected (including you) and what should happen next. Many people may have things that they want to explain to the people who were hurt, and to try to make amends for their actions. Restorative Justice can help you to move forward with your life.

Can I take part in Restorative Justice without meeting the other person?

Yes Restorative Justice can take place in many ways, this can be direct via face to face meeting or indirect via letter writing and a shuttle process.

Can I stop the process at any time?

Restorative justice is entirely voluntary and you can pull out at any time, including on the day of a conference or even while the meeting is going on. Victim First will support you and try to make sure that there are no surprises as you go through the process, but whether you go through with it is entirely up to you.