Valuing Victims Report Published
Our Valuing Victims project looks at Government funding for Restorative Justice, how it is spent in different areas, and what outcomes have been achieved.
Why me?’s fifth Valuing Victims report was published on 18th March 2020. It looks at the outcomes of Restorative Justice, and how the outputs, ie referrals and case work, compares with the level of funding in PCC areas. In 2018/19 the Ministry of Justice introduced an outcomes framework to existing Police and Crime Commissioner reporting which included outputs, outcomes and demographics following consultation with Police and Crime Commissioners. Why me? obtained the data for Restorative Justice through a Freedom of Information request, and have used this data for our Valuing Victims report.
Key Findings
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Victim satisfaction with Restorative Justice is very high. This is particularly encouraging when contrasted to declining victim satisfaction with the criminal justice system in general.
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We question the accuracy of the data which has been provided to the Ministry of Justice. It is important in coming years that police areas ensure that the data which they provide is accurate, and that approaches in different areas are consistent.
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PCC areas were not required to provide information on their actual spend on Restorative Justice services. This makes it difficult to scrutinize the marginal benefit of funding these services. Requiring police areas to disclose this information would aid transparency and assist in developing the effectiveness of restorative services in PCC areas.
Trevor Watson, author of the report comments, “Our Valuing Victims Campaign champions victims’ entitlement to be told about Restorative Justice. The Victims’ Code entitles them to this, but only 5% of them recall receiving this information in reality. More people could benefit from Restorative Justice, and understanding best practice is an important step towards making this happen. The data in our 5th Valuing Victims report demonstrates how much victims of crime can benefit from restorative interventions, and highlights the significant variations in its availability across the country.”
The report can be accessed here https://why-me.org/campaigns/valuing-victims/