A Restorative Justice Safety Net
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.
Did you know that Why me? run a safety net Restorative Justice service, taking on cases that local services can’t?
Restorative Justice services across the UK do incredible work, helping people affected by crime to be heard and to access the resources they need to heal. Much of this sector is staffed by small teams and volunteers who generously give their time. We want to support local services to continue to do their crucial work.
Some services in the UK have specific crime types that they are unable or unlikely to facilitate Restorative Justice for, such as hate crime or domestic violence. Others can’t take cases that haven’t gone to court. This could either be a decision made within the service, or imposed by funding restrictions by the local police or Police and Crime Commissioner. Alternatively, for some services, they may be unable to take on some cases due to a lack of resources, facilitators, training in a certain area or they simply have too many referrals.
Why me? want to ease some of the burden on services by taking on cases that they cannot facilitate, or would prefer not to. We have experts trained in delivering complex and sensitive cases who can explore whether a restorative intervention would be appropriate. Whether it is a lack of resources, a lack of staff or a particular case type that you cannot take on, we can help.
This service also goes both ways. When Why me? get enquiries to our own RJ team, as far as possible we refer them on to the enquirer’s local service. This means that people can be supported by facilitators in their local area. It is only when a local service cannot take the case on, or choose not to, that we support the person through our own service.
We have a group of expert facilitators who deliver our cases. Whilst we are a small team, we are eager to help so if you do have a case you’d like to pass on to us, please get in touch via rjservice@why-me.org. Also, if you’d like to discuss your service and how we could best support you, don’t hesitate to reach out.
So, if you have cases that you don’t feel you can take for whatever reason, don’t turn them away, refer them to us!
