News

Beyond Prison: How Restorative Justice can heal the harm of online hate

This is a blog by Why me? Volunteer, Faye Sellers.   Last summer’s riots showed just how fragile Britain’s social fabric has become. In the wake of the Southport child murders, false rumours spread online, blaming asylum seekers. Within hours, hotels were attacked, streets filled with anger, and communities were left reeling. Into this chaos […]

Why me? to join Michael Palin in a post-show conversation at Punch in the West End

This is a blog by Why me? and The Forgiveness Project.    Why me? is delighted to be working with The Forgiveness Project and the producers of Punch as it moves to a run in London’s West End, as part of a post-show conversation about Restorative Justice. The play will be on at the Apollo […]

Willow’s Day: Restorative Justice for Young Hearts and Minds

This is a guest blog by Caryn Price and Georgina Benger, authors of Willow’s Day.    For those of us already walking the path of restorative justice, the concepts of empathy, accountability, and repairing harm are familiar and deeply valued. But too often, these conversations begin too late – in the midst of conflict, or […]

Why me? launches Restorative Friends, a new regular giving scheme

This is a blog by our CEO Sara Dowling.   Today on the International Day of Charity, we are delighted to be launching Restorative Friends, a new regular giving opportunity for our amazing community to show their support for Why me?, our vision and work, helping us to build a sustainable base for our future. […]

Diversifying the restorative sector

 This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    A new report, ‘Diversifying the Restorative Sector: Lessons from Practitioners’, has recently been published, exploring how the Restorative Justice sector can be diversified in order to better represent the people it serves, and the communities and cultures that the restorative principles are […]

National Road Victim Month: Road Harm and Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.    Every August, National Road Victim Month offers a moment to reflect on the devastating toll of road death and injury, honour those who have lost their lives, support those left behind and call for urgent action to prevent future suffering. Road deaths are a global […]

Rhiannon’s journey to Why me?

This is a blog by our Team Administrator, Rhiannon Vivian.   When I applied for the Team Administrator role at Why me? I had decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the charity sector. I’d spent many years writing for brands, and prior to that, working in magazines. Both were interesting, varied, and […]

Ministry of Justice prove the decline of prisons and probation

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   At the end of July, the Ministry of Justice released a variety of new statistics on the state of prisons and probation. Ranging from deaths in custody, self harm rates and drug finds to the performance of probation services, the statistics expose […]

Breaking down barriers to working restoratively in prison: The problem with ReHub

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter, and our CEO, Sara Dowling.   Why me? has written to Lord Timpson to ask for urgent action to be taken to reduce the barriers to RJ experienced by people in prison and probation. We have received a wealth of feedback from the […]

Supporting young victims of violence

This is a guest blog by Steven Green, Deputy Practice Manager Restorative Approaches at Reach, part of Wigan Council.    As incidents of violence are increasingly documented and disseminated through social media platforms, the emotional and psychological repercussions for young victims have become more pronounced.  GWiNN, an initiative established by dedicated restorative justice practitioners from […]

What do victims want? New report on out of court resolutions

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Transform Justice recently published a report titled ‘Beyond the courtroom: do out of court resolutions work for victims?’. The research provides a useful insight into the needs of victims of crime who are often failed by the court process, and how out […]

Youth Justice Board release report on their new KPIs

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   The Youth Justice Board have published a new report on the ‘Quality and methodology information for youth justice services’ key performance indicators’. In 2022, 10 new key performance indicators (KPIs) were given to Youth Justice Services in England and Wales, that they […]

New report: Leveson’s independent review of the Criminal Courts

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling   This week (9th July), the Rt Hon. Sir Brian Leveson published the first of two reports on the ‘Independent review of the Criminal Courts’. The review aims to address the criminal justice crisis that has resulted in 75,000 outstanding cases in the Crown Court and […]

Moral injury and Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Kitty Ellison, Homeless Link’s Senior Learning and Development Manager. Whilst the article is focused on the homelessness sector, we wanted to share it due to its reference to the use of restorative approaches to repair some of the harm that professionals can face in the workplace. The blog was originally […]

Post Office scandal: The new Horizon report and its recommendations for Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    This week, Sir Wyn Williams has published the first volume of his report on the Post Office scandal, which became a major news story following an ITV programme on the topic in January 2024. In this blog, we explore the findings of […]

New report calls for Restorative Justice to address institutional harm

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   This week, the Wayfinders Group published a White Paper titled ‘From harm to healing: Rebuilding trust in Britain’s publicly funded institutions. The report outlines how we are currently facing a “systemic crisis of institutional legitimacy” – meaning that the general public have […]

Punch: Facilitating the meeting behind the play

Nicola Fowler is an experienced Restorative Justice practitioner and Assistant Director at Remedi. She is also now seeing one of the Restorative Justice cases she delivered being played out on stage in James Graham’s play, Punch. In this interview with our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter, Nicola shares her journey into Restorative Justice, her […]

Practice, Practice, Practice: Living Restoratively

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill.   In most, if not all, Restorative Justice facilitation training that I have led, feedback from participants has called for more skills practice. Whilst I believe that skills practice should be a central part of all facilitation training, I also think […]

Transparency of the Parole Board

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.   Why me? was invited to respond to the recent review by HH Peter Rook KC and HH Michael Topolski KC on the overall transparency of the Parole Board, public parole hearings (as it has now been two years since they launched) and specifically a review […]

The Quiet Power of Restorative Justice

This article is based on an interview with Shelley Deutsch, volunteer for Why me?. The article was originally published on Calm Mediation’s website, written by Beth Colson. Thank you to Calm for allowing us to share.     When Shelley first attended a conference on Restorative Justice two decades ago in Cardiff, she didn’t yet know […]

Launch of new helpline and update on Why me?’s Restorative Justice Service

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.    We are excited to announce that Why me? is launching a new Restorative Justice helpline to provide confidential, accessible and supportive guidance to individuals and communities seeking restorative responses to harm, conflict or injustice. The introduction of this new service marks a significant step forward […]

HMI Probation: How Youth Justice Services can meet the new victims’ standard

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Why me? recently held a forum for the youth justice sector, on the topic of meeting the new Victims’ Standard, as set by HM Inspectorate for Probation. The forum was well attended, with over 90 people coming to learn more about the […]

Join us: Why now is the perfect time to become Chair of Why me?

This is a blog by Will Jacks, Why me?’s Vice Chair of Trustees.   Why me? is a small charity with a big impact. We champion Restorative Justice, a process that gives people affected by crime a chance to be heard, to ask questions, and to move forward. It changes lives. And we need the […]

New Sentencing Review: What is it and what does it mean for RJ?

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.   Last week, the Government published their long-awaited Sentencing Review, led by former Lord Chancellor, David Gauke. In light of the current prison crisis and the early release of prisoners late last year through the SDS40 scheme, the principal aim of the review was “to put […]

Meet the practitioner: Karen Holgate

This is an interview with Karen Holgate, Operations Manager at Victim Support.    What is your name? My name is Karen Holgate, but I prefer to be called Kaz (I am definitely not a Karen!) What is your job title? My Job title is Operations Manager for projects. I manage teams of project workers across […]

Restorative responses and interfaith instincts

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill.   The Interfaith Restorative Justice Project, delivered by a partnership of the Faith and Belief Forum, Interfaith Glasgow and Why me?, has published a new report, UK Summer Riots: Restorative Responses and Interfaith Instincts.  The report was made possible as a result […]

Creating a safer Criminal Justice System 

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Last week I spoke at a Research Symposium on the topic of ‘A safer criminal justice system’. The event, hosted by the Criminal Justice Alliance in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University and Metropolis, explored the key question of how we can make […]

Violence in Schools 

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Lead, Mark Hamill.    Last month, Mark attended an online meeting of the National Relational and Restorative Practice Network on the theme of Violence in Schools.  Dr Belinda Hopkins presented the findings of Why me?’s research into the impact of violence in the alternative provision sector. There […]

“It seems that we missed a major opportunity for restorative justice”

This is a guest blog by Penelope Gibbs, Director of Transform Justice, originally published under the title “I just went to be nosy”: children, punishment and the 2024 riots.    Is there any point using deterrent sentences after the event? During the summer riots, which followed the murders of three girls in Southport, the police […]

Capturing the stories of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Storytelling is an integral part of the Restorative Justice process itself. For a victim of crime, sharing their experience in their own words can be empowering, and help the other party to see the reality of what they went through. For the […]

Overhauling a broken system: The Times Crime and Justice Commission Report

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, The Times newspaper’s Crime and Justice Commission released their ‘Report into the state of the criminal justice system’. The report is the culmination of a year of work, led by journalist Rachel Sylvester, alongside a group of Commissioners from “the […]

Getting answers through parole hearings

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   As of the beginning of this month (April 2025), the Government has implemented a new initiative where victims of crime can attend the parole hearings of the people who committed crimes against them. In a press release from the Ministry of Justice, […]

Why me? at Punch

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Yesterday, (Thursday 27th March), the Why me? team attended Punch, the play about Restorative Justice at the Young Vic theatre.  The play explores the story of Jacob Dunne, a man who aged 19 years old, went on a night out and threw […]

Mitigating risk in Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, we held our first forum of 2025, examining the topic of Mitigating risk. We were delighted to have Emeritus Professor Joanna Shapland share her research on this topic with our attendees. Professor Tim Chapman, another leading academic in the restorative […]

Calm and chaos: A story of probation

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate and a former probation officer has published a new poem about his experience working within probation. The powerful poem is an insight into both the joys and challenges faced by those working within the prison and probation […]

Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline Through Restorative Practices

This is a guest blog by Faye Sellers, a volunteer for Why me? who is currently studying a Masters degree in Criminology at the University of Bath.   The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the systemic process where marginalized students are pushed out of mainstream education and into the criminal justice system. This occurs due to […]

Breaking out of the Justice Loop

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Recently Why me? attended the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies’ launch event for their new report, ‘Breaking out of the Justice Loop’. The report examines how the justice system is not designed for women, and consequently isn’t fit to suit their […]

A night at the Smiley Charity Film Awards 2025

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Last week, Why me? attended the Smiley Charity Film Awards as our short film was selected as a finalist. It was a fantastic event, highlighting the hard work of the charity sector, displayed through an array of powerful short films.  Our 4-minute […]

Esther Ghey: Finding forgiveness

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, Esther Ghey, mother of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey who was murdered in 2023, appeared on Woman’s Hour, discussing how she has come to find forgiveness for the two people who killed her daughter.  Last February, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were […]

New training opportunity: Value-led and experiential learning

Why me? are delighted to be working with Professor Tim Chapman on a new set of training courses which take a different approach, focusing on the values and lived-experience behind the restorative process. Tim is a Trustee for Why me? and a leading academic in the Restorative Justice field. Tim says “The training takes a […]

Responding to London Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.   Why me? has responded to the London Mayor’s Police and Crime plan consultation making the case for the greater use of Restorative Justice to help deliver its objectives of reducing violence and criminal exploitation, increasing trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and […]

Meet the speakers: Mitigating risk

On the 27th of March, Why me? will be holding our first forum of 2025 on the topic of ‘Mitigating risk’. The forums are an opportunity for anyone with an interest in Restorative Justice to come together and share their thoughts and ideas on a particular topic pertinent to the sector. The March session will […]

Know your rights

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    We want to ensure that people affected by crime know their rights. With Restorative Justice now being featured in the play ‘Punch‘, on at the Young Vic theatre from the 1st of March, now is the time to capitalise on the increased […]

Why me? meet the Prisons Minister

This week, Why me?’s CEO, Sara Dowling, met with the Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation, Lord Timpson to discuss Restorative Justice. The meeting was the result of a question raised by our Ambassador, and Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon, Paul Kohler, in a recent session of Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). During the PMQs, Paul […]

Keeping the ‘J’ in RJ

This is a blog by our Training and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill.    In the world in which the majority of you and I both work, the world of Restorative Justice, I have recently noted a marked shying away from the term ‘Restorative Justice’ in preference for ‘Restorative Practice’. Of course, for many years, this […]

Implementing the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

We recently received an update from the Ministry of Justice about the implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. The update outlines the first steps being taken by the Government to enact the victim-related measures in the Act, which was passed in May last year. They suggest that “this milestone is a crucial step […]

Making a Physical Space for Difficult Conversations 

This is a blog by Angie Kaye, a Senior Restorative Justice Facilitator for prisons in the Thames Valley area for 12 years. “Peace is always right here. You just have to create a space for it.” – Carol Tuttle   What makes for a successful restorative meeting? There are many answers, but I’d like to […]

Interfaith Restorative Justice project update

This is a blog by the Interfaith Restorative Justice project partners from Why me?, the Faith and Belief Forum and Interfaith Glasgow.                   In this blog we take a look back at our first year to celebrate what we’ve achieved so far. We hope to bring you […]

The Government’s Sentencing Review: Why me?’s response

This is a blog by our CEO, Sara Dowling.   The criminal justice system is currently in crisis. More and more people are being sent to prison, often on short sentences which are proven to cause further harm. In 2024 prison overcrowding became such a problem that an early release scheme was introduced where prisoners […]

Reflections on conducting interviews for the Interfaith Restorative Justice Project

This is a blog by Dr Hannah McGuinness Begum, Community Outreach Officer at The Faith & Belief Forum (F&BF). Why me? are partnered with The Faith and Belief Forum, alongside Interfaith Glasgow, to deliver a project on the use of Restorative Justice to address hostility to and between faith groups.    As part of our […]

Seeking justice for victims of antisocial behaviour

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   The Home Office have recently published a news story outlining how victims of criminal antisocial behaviour are going to receive more support to facilitate their healing. The announcement highlights the Government’s ‘Plan for Change’ which will implement new measures as a response […]

Is there any place for shame in Restorative Justice?

This is a blog by Angie Kaye, a Senior Restorative Justice Facilitator for prisons in the Thames Valley area for 12 years. The names given in this blog have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.    Shame has hit the headlines recently in the case of Gisele Pelicot, drugged by her husband […]

Getting answers to ‘Why me?’

This is a blog by Dr Diana Batchelor, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in Criminology at the University of Sheffield School of Law. Her current research explores victim-survivors’ understanding of the causes of crime. Diana has worked in criminal justice and conflict resolution in the UK, South Africa, and Lebanon, in roles ranging from frontline support […]

What’s coming up in 2025?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Happy New Year! Here at Why me? we are excited for the year ahead, a fresh opportunity for lobbying the Government, campaigning for wider access and promoting Restorative Justice to new audiences. In this blog, we explore some of the things we […]

Reflecting on a busy year at Why me?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius, who is leaving the Why me? team this January.    It is with mixed emotions that I am saying goodbye to Why me? after an exciting year as Communications and Campaigns Officer. It feels like forever ago – and yet no time at […]

A year in review: 2024 at Why me?

This is a blog by Why me?’s CEO, Sara Dowling.   As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on a year of big change and meaningful impact at Why me?. A new Government has brought hope and opportunity to a broken criminal justice system, and Why me? have worked hard this year to capitalise […]

Saying goodbye to Kate Aldous

This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous.   After over four years as a Trustee and then as a staff member, I am moving on from Why me?. I have loved being part of the Restorative Justice world. The more I have learned about RJ, the more important I believe the work […]

Taking responsibility in Restorative Justice: How much is needed?

This is a blog by Angie Kaye, a Senior RJ Facilitator for Prisons in the Thames Valley area for 12 years. Previously she worked as Director/Producer of human rights documentaries for BBC TV.   “Restorative Justice can’t even begin when the offender pleads not guilty or takes little or no responsibility for a crime.” This […]

When the helpers become the harmed

This is a blog by Becky Childs, Service Manager at Restorative Cleveland, part of the Safer Communities Group.   The violent disorder that occurred this summer deeply shocked and harmed many individuals and businesses, causing damage within our communities and reinforcing the need for a shared response to support healing and repair. Initial exploration as […]

Why me? is leaving Twitter/X

Why me? has made the decision to stop posting on Twitter in 2025. We have made this decision for a few reasons, but primarily because it no longer aligns with our values. In our research prior to coming to this decision, we came across some statistics and key events that were impossible to ignore: “Within […]

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed intentionally by a partner or family member.  1 in 3 women and girls experience violence in their lifetime. These numbers are indicative of the epidemic of violence against women and girls that we face in […]

Celebrating and remembering in a quiet corner of North Wales

This is a guest blog by the Restorative Justice Team of the Gwynedd Môn Youth Justice Services.   During Restorative Justice Week 2024, the Gwynedd Môn Youth Justice Services did not want to miss out on the opportunity to join in the global celebration and promote our day-to-day restorative work. The Youth Justice Service works […]

Reflections on Restorative Justice Week

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   We hope that everyone enjoyed Restorative Justice Week 2024 – it was a week full of passion, shared messaging, celebration and encouragement across the world. We were delighted to see a buzz around Restorative Justice throughout the week, with conversations and events […]

Youth Justice, Restorative Justice and hate crimes/incidents

This is a guest blog written by Deirdre Leask from Southwark Youth Justice Service.    Southwark Youth Justice Service’s Hate Incident Working Group has been meeting since 2022, developing a six-module programme for case managers and young people involved in hate crimes or incidents. On average, around six young people are referred to us annually […]

What would you say?: Behind the scenes of our short film

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Happy Restorative Justice Week 2024! This RJ Week, Why me? released our brand new short film, ‘What would you say?’  Creating this film was a unique experience, where the Why me? team went along on a journey, aiming to authentically capture the […]

Restorative Justice and my faith

This is a blog by Mahmooda Qureshi, West Midlands Programme Coordinator at The Faith & Belief Forum. The Faith & Belief Forum works in partnership with Why me? and Interfaith Glasgow to deliver our interfaith Restorative Justice project, which explores how Restorative Justice can be used to resolve community conflicts and address faith-based hate crime […]

Spotlight on research: Restorative Justice and social justice

This is a blog by Thomas Procter-Legg, Doctoral Teaching Fellow and DPhil Candidate at Hertford College, Department of Education, University of Oxford.   Have you ever wondered how Restorative Justice can contribute to broader social justice reforms? A recent article by Thomas Procter-Legg, Jonathan Hobson, and Ernest Quimby, “Restorative justice and social justice: an international […]

What’s coming up in Restorative Justice Week 2024?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Restorative Justice Week 2024, which runs from the 17th to the 23rd of November, is fast approaching! This year’s theme is “The promise of Restorative Justice in a polarising world.” We are excited to share our plans for the upcoming week, which […]

Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming narratives

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   This week marks the end of Black History Month 2024, a time to celebrate the achievements of Black people in the UK and beyond, whilst simultaneously acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to achieve an anti-racist society.  The theme […]

The Sentencing Review: a much-needed opportunity for a criminal justice reset

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   On 21st October, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, announced that the Government would be undertaking an independent sentencing review, following through on its election pledge.  The announcement is the latest measure that the Labour Government has taken […]

Expanding restorative and growing healthy communities

This is a blog by Inger Brit Lowater and Benjamin Fisk, PhD students supervised by Dr. Jon Hobson at University of Gloucestershire.   In a ‘Building a New Reality’ (BANR) webinar hosted by Ted and Josh Wachtel on Wednesday 16th October 2024, we discussed the relational and restorative work taking place in Gloucestershire. With their […]

Meet Why me?’s new Trustees!

Why me? are pleased to announce that three new Trustees have joined our team. We are delighted to welcome Tim Chapman, Emma Jones and Ben Andrew to our Board. They each bring a unique skillset which will help our small charity to continue to support people affected by crime. Tim Chapman Tim Chapman had a […]

Does curiosity really kill the cat? The power of inquiry in Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Simone Mitchell-DaCosta. Simone is a dedicated social justice advocate with extensive experience in social justice policy, practice and research. She currently serves as a Restorative Justice Officer at the Ministry of Justice in Jamaica where she has been instrumental in implementing and facilitating RJ programmes at the community level. She […]

National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024: A person-centred way to stop hate

This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous.    Hate crime is under-reported. Only half of hate crimes are reported to police, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. When it is, satisfaction with the response is low.  Restorative Justice is a different response. It facilitates safe and supported communication between […]

We have moved!

After many years in our old office space, we have moved! Why me? is now based in Brixton at 3Space International House. We look forward to welcoming you to our new office space in the near future. Please make a note of our new details: Our new address is 3Space International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, London […]

The power of Restorative Justice to tackle anti-social behaviour

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    This year, the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that 25% of people perceived anti-social behaviour to be a fairly or very big problem in their area. There was also an increase in the number of people who were victims of, […]

Prison isn’t working for women, says Justice Secretary

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Last week, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood, declared that prisons are not working for women. In order to reduce the number of women who are incarcerated, and ultimately cut the number of women’s prisons, she introduced a […]

Victims of crime failed by the justice system

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   Last month, the Victims’ Commissioner published the results of her annual Victims’ Survey. Based on the voices of 3,048 victims of crime across England and Wales, the report explores victims’ experiences with and perceptions of the Criminal Justice System over the past […]

Healing community harm: reflections from the sector

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, Why me? ran a forum, “Healing Community Harm”, bringing the sector together to discuss how we can use restorative interventions to address the widespread harm caused by the racist and Islamophobic violence in early August. Attendees spoke of the different […]

The voices of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Restorative Justice is a personal process, tailored to the needs of the people taking part. Because of this, it looks different for everyone, both in process and outcome. Hearing the testimonies of people who have been through it is the only way […]

“I am stuck in prison with no way out”: The institutional harm of IPP sentences

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter. What are IPP sentences and what damage are they causing? In 2005, the Labour Government introduced the ‘Imprisonment for Public Protection’ sentence as part of their tough on crime approach. Under an IPP sentence, prisoners had no set date for their release. Instead, […]

Making sense of the early release scheme: The role of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   In July, in response to a prison capacity crisis which saw prisons routinely operating at above 99% capacity, the newly appointed Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, announced urgent changes to the early release scheme for people serving standard determinate sentences. In order to […]

A Restorative Justice response to far-right violence

This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous.   I watched with horror as the recent anti-immigration and racist violence spread across the country, and then with very mixed feelings, the Government’s harsh crackdown. I wanted this frightening and hate-filled behaviour to stop – and I am greatly relieved it has. But I […]

Finding a new path through Restorative Justice

This is a guest blog by Rory Sloan, Founder and Managing Director of ResoluteM;nds. Rory shares his story of substance abuse, mental health struggles, crime, and eventually rehabilitation through the power of Restorative Justice.   I struggled with substance abuse and severe mental health issues from the age of 14. As I grew up, I […]

What is environmental Restorative Justice?

This is a guest blog written by Prof. (Dr.) Sairam Bhat and Vikas Gahlot. Dr. Sairam Bhat is Professor of Law at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru. Mr. Vikas Gahlot is Senior Research Associate at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru. This blog explores how Restorative Justice can be used […]

Why me? on set and in the studio!

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.    It’s been an exciting few weeks at Why me?! We have been on set and in the studio, recording Series 2 of Restorative Talks and producing a short film. One of the biggest challenges we face as an organisation is the lack […]

Join the Why me? Board of Trustees!

Are you passionate about Restorative Justice? Do you want to make a difference? With a new CEO in post and a strategy review underway, Why me? is looking for three new Trustees to join our Board, helping to guide and support our small but passionate charity. We are especially interested in people who have experience in […]

Maximising access to Restorative Justice: 10 Asks for PCCs

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    This week Why me? is publishing our 2024 ‘10 Asks’ campaign, outlining ten key steps that Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales can take to ensure that Restorative Justice is safe and accessible in their area.  Our pre-election pledge campaign […]

Making a difference to Why me? through fundraising

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Over the past few years, small charities across the country have felt the strain on fundraising that arose through the pandemic and has continued through the cost of living crisis. This dramatic change in the fundraising landscape has left many organisations with […]

Journey not destination: The importance of process in Restorative Justice

This is a guest blog by Daniel Cunningham, Restorative Justice Lead at Victim First (Catch 22).   Across the Restorative Justice (RJ) sector there is often a strong focus on outcomes: Was there a dialogue? Was there a meeting? Was there shuttle mediation? Restorative processes and practices must be designed around what people affected by […]

Working restoratively with young people

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   July has been an exciting month of events here at Why me?! We held our bimonthly forum and a launch event for our new report on using restorative practices in Alternative Provision settings. Both events explored how restorative approaches can be implemented […]

My journey to Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Cheryl Jacob, newly recruited Team Administrator at Why me?.   I found the recent job posting for Team Administrator at Why me? at an incredibly opportune time in my life. I had decided on a change of career and was intent on finding work in an organisation that was determined […]

A chance for change: Tackling the prisons crisis under the new Government

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, a new Parliament was formed as Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, took over as Prime Minister. With the first Labour Government in 14 years, this marks a momentous opportunity to bring about change across the country. In this blog, we […]

Why me? at Glastonbury!

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    At the end of June, Why me? was excited to attend Glastonbury Festival to spread the word about Restorative Justice on the Left Field stage! Our wonderful ambassador, Janika, attended on behalf of Why me? to join a panel of criminal justice […]

Restorative Justice and religion

This is a blog by our Training and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill.   Restorative Justice owes a debt to religion. Many of those who first articulated the concept of Restorative Justice in the mid to late 20th century drew inspiration from religion as well as indigenous traditions. Howard Zehr, widely known as ‘the grandfather of […]

Survivor-centred justice for sexual and domestic violence

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   It is now well established that for survivors of domestic violence or sexual abuse, accessing ‘justice’ is even harder than for victims of other crimes. The backlog of rape cases means that over 3,000 people are still waiting for their cases to […]

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 […]

Campaigning for change during the General Election

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Last week, major political parties released their manifestos in advance of the General Election on the 4th of July. The manifestos outline their key priorities and the actions they intend to take, should they be elected next month. Each of the parties […]

Safety and mitigating risk in Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Training and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill, in collaboration with Professor Joanna Shapland. Joanna Shapland is Edward Bramley Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Sheffield. Her contributions to Restorative Justice have been significant and varied, including directing the national evaluation of Restorative Justice in England & Wales.   […]

LGBTQ+ people in the Criminal Justice System: Reflections during Pride Month

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   Happy Pride Month from all of us at Why me?! June is a time of celebration and joy, but it should also be a moment to take stock of the ongoing challenges that LGBTQ+ people face both within and outside of the […]

Celebrating one year at Why me?

This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous.   It’s now been over a year since I started working at Why me? – so a good time to pause and reflect on how it’s going and where we are.  I have learnt more about Restorative Justice, and seen more evidence of its power […]

The power of Restorative Justice on stage

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius. Punch, a moving play about the power of Restorative Justice, is running at the Nottingham Playhouse until 25th May. The production has been an overwhelming success, garnering national media attention and completely selling out. The play was written by James Graham, a celebrated […]

General Election 2024: What does this mean for Restorative Justice?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    Update: The Victims and Prisoners Bill was granted Royal Assent on 24th May has therefore become the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. More information can be found here.   This week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak requested that the current Parliament be dissolved on the […]

Interfaith team training in Glasgow

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill.    At the start of this month, Mark Hamill, our newly-appointed Training and Service Coordinator, and Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous, led Restorative Justice training across two days for our interfaith project partners, The Faith and Belief Forum and Interfaith Glasgow.  The […]

A Child First approach to Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our new Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator, Mark Hamill. You can read more about Mark on our ‘Meet the Team’ page here.    Child First is the title given to the four evidence-based principles that inform current practice in Youth Justice in England and Wales. Originating from research undertaken […]

Reframing Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter, co-posted with The Mint House.   Why me? want to see a world where people affected by crime know what Restorative Justice is, know how to access it and can readily explore whether it might be suitable for them with a trained expert.  […]

Restorative Justice billboards spotted across the UK!

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.    Last week, Why me? launched a national billboard campaign promoting Restorative Justice in partnership with the JCDecaux Community Channel. We were blown away by the positive response from our community. Thank you to everyone who has spread the word and visited a billboard! If […]

What’s new at the Ministry of Justice?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius. Updated on 15th April 2024.   Parliament may be in recess, but Restorative Justice remains a strong political priority with momentum at a national level. Two recent developments from the Ministry of Justice have the potential to improve access and accountability, but only […]

Beyond Punishment: Young girls and Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Nikita Singh, an international journalism student at Cardiff University currently working on a project to understand the impact of Restorative Justice practices on women offenders.   Despite the recent popularity of Restorative Justice within the Youth Justice System, a significant gap in research remains regarding the experiences of young girls […]

Have you seen Why me?’s Restorative Justice billboards?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   Why me? are excited to announce the launch of a national billboard campaign promoting Restorative Justice in partnership with the JCDecaux Community Channel!  There are four different designs which will appear on hundreds of billboards across major cities in the UK, running […]

Restorative Justice: A theoretical analysis

This is a blog by Evgenia Apostolou, a 1st year PhD Criminology researcher and PGR Academic Representative at Lancaster University. This blog explores how the categories of victimisation and its social approaches connect to Restorative Justice.     Restorative Justice is a global pioneer in the fields of criminology and victimology, placing people and their wellbeing […]

Brianna Ghey: A meeting of mothers 

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    After the violent murder of Brianna Ghey last year, Brianna’s mother, Esther, has now met with the mother of one of the teenagers who killed her daughter.   This week, Esther Ghey was featured on Radio 4’s Today programme to speak about her […]

Why me?’s Restorative Justice Manifesto

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   Why me? are excited to release our Restorative Justice manifesto, outlining the three key steps that need to be taken to ensure that people affected by crime can access Restorative Justice. At the moment, people affected by crime do not have access […]

Putting justice on the agenda for all women this International Women’s Day

This is a blog by Laura Cook, volunteer Communications Consultant with Women Beyond Walls, a global movement focused on ending the over-incarceration and over-criminalisation of women worldwide.   Every year, as International Women’s Day approaches, our collective strides towards gender equality come into sharp focus. While we must acknowledge the progress made, the excessive imprisonment […]

A restorative approach to corporate harm

This is a blog by our Director, Lucy Jaffé.   “Our hope now is that nobody else will die.” – Samantha May, The Infected Blood Inquiry, 4 March 2022   When there are announcements about state and corporate compensation for the Windrush, Grenfell, Post Office and Infected Blood victims, I am shocked at the un-restorative […]

New Chief Executive for Why me? 

This is a blog by Why me?’s Director, Lucy Jaffé.    We are very pleased to announce that Sara Dowling will be joining Why me? on the 18th March 2024. She will be heading up a dedicated, high calibre team of volunteers, ambassadors and staff. She brings an impressive portfolio of experience and will bring […]

Creative responses to LGBTQ+ hate crime

This is the second of two blogs on Why me?’s work on Restorative Justice for LGBTQ+ hate crime. This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous.   In the last blog, former Why me? staff member and expert Restorative Justice practitioner Linda Millington wrote about the growing levels of LGBTQ+ hate crime and […]

Refugees, asylum seekers and Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Dr Steve Kirkwood, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. His research areas include Restorative Justice, the response to refugees, and criminal justice social work. He is first author of the book, ‘The language of asylum: Refugees and discourse’, and his work has been published in […]

Increasing access to justice: The role of Restorative Justice for LGBTQ+ hate crime

This is a blog by Linda Millington, who was the manager of our LGBTQ+ hate crime project for four years. She has written the first of two blogs exploring our learning from this work. This blog explores why victims of LGBTQ+ hate crimes rarely access Restorative Justice and how this gap can be addressed.   […]

A victim-centred approach to retail crime: Conference highlights

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   On Tuesday, 6th of February, Why me? hosted a unique event, bringing together representatives from the retail sector, the restorative sector and key decision-makers to discuss how Restorative Justice can be used to address the harm caused by retail crime.  Retail crime […]

Saving money and rebuilding lives: The power of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Director, Lucy Jaffé.   What reduces crime, helps victim recovery and saves money from the public purse? Restorative Justice! I don’t say this lightly.  It has taken years of academic research, delivery of casework by professional services and over a decade of consistent advocacy and campaigning work here at […]

The shared principles of harm reduction and Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius.   I joined the team at the beginning of January, and it has been a whirlwind couple of weeks getting settled into the role and learning more about the work that Why me? does and how I fit in.  When I was tasked […]

Cross-party support for Restorative Justice in House of Lords

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter. Updated by Communications and Campaigns Officer, Isabelle Gius, on 2nd February 2024.   On Wednesday, the Victims and Prisoners Bill went to the Committee Stage in the House of Lords. This means that the amendments tabled by Peers were discussed in Parliament. The […]

Interfaith Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Strategic Programmes Manager, Kate Aldous.    Why me? is delighted to announce the start of a project exploring using Restorative Justice  to address conflict between faiths and communities. This project will be led by the Faith and Belief Forum (F&BF), who will lead on work in Solihull, in partnership […]

The Victims and Prisoners Bill: Where are we and what’s next?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.    The Victims and Prisoners Bill is a long awaited piece of legislation, aiming to strengthen the rights of victims of crime. It is an opportunity to ensure that Restorative Justice is more widely available, with enforceable rights that people affected by crime […]

We are hiring: Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator

Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic Restorative Justice (RJ) practitioner and trainer keen to be at the forefront of developing and enhancing RJ practice nationally. You will be part of a small and committed team in a leading RJ charity, working closely to deliver projects […]

What’s coming up in 2024?

Welcome to 2024! We have an exciting year planned of campaigning for and delivering high-quality Restorative Justice. In this blog, we explore some of Why me?’s upcoming plans, projects and aspirations for the year.  New areas of work Violence in pupil referral units This year we will be working on a project exploring how restorative […]

The year in review: 2023 at Why me?

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.    Why me? and the wider restorative sector have had a very successful year of raising awareness, campaigning and supporting people affected by crime.  This year has been challenging for the charity sector, with the cost of living crisis and a changing fundraising […]

Jamaica: Serious and Complex training to RJ staff, Victim Services and Child Diversion

This is a blog by Colette Selwood, a Restorative Justice and Safeguarding Trainer at Alpha1 Training and Consultancy Services.  On 10th October for 4 days, Helen Lord, Thames Valley Restorative Justice Service, and I travelled to Jamaica to deliver Serious and Complex Restorative Justice training to the Restorative Justice, Victim Services and Child Diversion staff. […]

Reflections on Restorative Justice Week 2023

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   Last week was Restorative Justice Week 2023! We had a fantastic week of networking, sharing ideas, building new connections and sparking challenging discussions. We want to extend a big thank you to everyone who took part, the combined voices of the restorative […]

5 ways you can support Why me?

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   It was #GivingTuesday this week, a time to celebrate generosity and support the charities that you value. We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supports us, this week and throughout the year. Without you, we could not do […]

Listen now to ‘Restorative Talks’

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.     It’s Restorative Justice Week! This week, Why me? are delighted to be launching our ‘Restorative Talks’ podcast series, which highlights the stories of people affected by crime, widens access to Restorative Justice and shares accurate information about the restorative process.  The series is […]

Restorative Justice Week 2023: #RJWorks

This is a blog by our Director, Lucy Jaffé.   This week we have focussed on how Restorative Justice works, where it works and for whom. What is so radical about Restorative Justice is that it transfers power to the people most involved in the crime or conflict so that they can decide how they […]

Time for change

This is a blog by our Director, Lucy Jaffé.   It’s time for a change at Why me?. After 12 years with the charity, I have decided to stand down as Director. It has not been an easy decision to make as I love Why me? and our important work promoting Restorative Justice.  I joined […]

Restorative Justice for young adults in prison and on probation

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   We all want young people to be able to lead productive, safe and healthy lives and we know it is important that they can access the resources they need throughout their journey to adulthood. We want to ensure that young people reach […]

Spinning the plates of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Strategic Programmes Manager, Kate Aldous.   I’ve been at Why me? for nearly six months already! So it’s a good time to pause and review.  I have learnt a huge amount, largely about Restorative Justice and restorative practice, met some great people including Peter Woolf, practitioner Alex Hyatt, who […]

Lucy Jaffé receives Chris Donovan Award for Services to Restorative Justice!

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.    Last week, our Director, Lucy Jaffé, received her award for ‘Services to Restorative Justice’, from the Chris Donovan Trust. It was an honour to attend the awards ceremony which showcased a range of committed and passionate figures in the Restorative Justice and […]

We are hiring a Restorative Justice Trainer and Service Coordinator

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic Restorative Justice (RJ) practitioner and trainer keen to develop and enhance RJ practice nationally. You will need experience of successfully handling a range of cases/conflicts, including complex and sensitive ones, and restorative circles. You will be experienced in and sensitive to the challenges of delivering […]

Black History Month: Neutrality vs equity

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   October is Black History Month, a time to acknowledge the impact of centuries of oppression and celebrate the often unacknowledged achievements of Black people across the UK. Whilst racism and inequality is something that should be discussed and tackled throughout the year, […]

Appointment of Interim Victim’s Commissioner- What does this mean for victims of crime?

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   This week, the Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk, announced that Baroness Newlove has been appointed as the interim Victim’s Commissioner. Following Dame Vera Baird’s resignation in September 2022, the post had been left unfilled for a year. The Lord Chancellor said that the […]

What’s coming up in Restorative Justice Week?

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   Restorative Justice Week, which this year falls between the 19th and the 25th of November, is fast approaching. We have an exciting line up of events and activities to share with you which will bring together the restorative community, spark challenging yet […]

We are hiring: Communication Campaigns Officer

Are you passionate about helping people affected by crime to recover? Do you have an interest in Restorative Justice and the Criminal Justice System? Are you a good communicator? We are offering an exciting new Communication Campaigns Officer role for 12 months from January 2024. This is a full-time position on a Rank Foundation Time to […]

Restorative Justice – healing harm caused by hate crime

This is a blog by Why me?’s Strategic Programmes Manager, Kate Aldous. Kate is managing Why me?’s project on the use of Restorative Justice for cases of LGBTQ+ hate crime.    Hate crime is under-reported. About 53% of instances are reported to police according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. When it is […]

How systemic inequality prevents children from accessing their rights

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   Last week Why me? collaborated with expert trainers Tim Chapman and Annemieke Wolthuis to deliver a training course on ‘Restorative Justice from a Children’s Rights Perspective’. The course was an insightful process of learning and provoked many deeper conversations about systemic discrimination, […]

Out of Court Resolutions: A new framework

In this blog, we speak to our Consultant, Trevor Watson, about the new Out of Court Resolution framework.   There are only 22 days left to respond to the Ministry of Justice consultation document, ‘Diversionary and Community Cautions: Draft Code of Practice‘, drafted to implement the new two tier cautionary framework as laid out in […]

Economic Evaluation: A global audience at the European Criminology Conference 2023

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé.   We were delighted that Why me?’s Economic Evaluation paper, which shows that for every £1 invested in Restorative Justice, £14 of benefits accrue, was accepted for presentation at this important conference. There were 2500 global criminologists and experts at the European Society of Criminology conference […]

Restorative Justice: A Victim-Centred Approach to Harm

This blog is written by Harry Grindle as part of the Daniel Merriman – Ted Bensinger III Fellowship, where Harry is assessing the feasibility and efficacy of restorative justice as an alternative judicial route. Harry is a Yale Psychology BS graduate and an incoming Criminology & Criminal Justice MSc student at the University of Oxford. […]

“How Restorative Justice gave me a new sense of direction”

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Volunteer, Bryony Hutt.   I have recently joined Why me? as a volunteer and am very excited at the opportunity to learn more about Restorative Justice.  After over a decade working in humanitarian aid, two ground-shaking events led me to take a pause and redirect my […]

We are hiring a Restorative Justice Development Coordinator!

This is an exciting opportunity for a Restorative Justice (RJ) practitioner with experience in different settings, and a passion to develop RJ practice and policy. They will be keen to work at national level to implement and influence policy and practice change. They will be excited about applying their knowledge and skill to our current […]

Meet the experts

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   Young people and children have particular needs which are sometimes overlooked when they are in contact with the Criminal Justice System. When working with children and young people, it is crucial to ensure that their rights are being protected and their needs […]

The role of Restorative Justice in marginalised communities

In this blog, Nishma, our Restorative Justice Development Officer, shares more about her work on Project Articulate and the value of Restorative Justice for marginalised communities.   I started my role as Restorative Justice Development Officer at Why me? in June 2023. I have been leading Project Articulate which aims to widen access to Restorative […]

Missing: Have you seen the National Victims’ Commissioner?

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé.   It has now been 11 months since Dame Vera Baird KC resigned from her role as National Victims’ Commissioner. But the role has remained vacant for almost a year. At a time when a landmark piece of legislation, the Victims and Prisoners Bill, is passing […]

The right to a referral or the right to Restorative Justice?

In this blog, our Communications and Events Coordinator Keeva Baxter explores the difference between the right to be referred to a Restorative Justice service and the right to Restorative Justice. This is based on the conversations we have been having around the inclusion of Restorative Justice in the Victims and Prisoners Bill.    One challenge […]

Getting your PCC on board: Restorative Justice budgeting for 2024-25

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé.   What is the cost benefit of Restorative Justice? What tools can you use to understand the return on investment? Is your Police and Crime Commissioner on board with Restorative Justice?   We want to support Restorative Justice services to show their Police and Crime Commissioners […]

Restorative Justice reaches a new audience

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator Keeva Baxter.   Why me? are delighted to have shared our BBC Radio 4 charity appeal during the week beginning the 9th of July. The appeal has helped to raise awareness of the power of Restorative Justice, gathering support amongst a new audience and educating […]

Best practice when working with young people

This blog is written by our Youth Justice Lead, Leah Robinson and has been inspired by our Youth Justice project and Good Practice Guide for Youth Justice Services.    Here are five key things to consider when working with young people in the restorative field: Making the offer of Restorative Justice Offences without a direct […]

Making information on Restorative Justice accessible

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator, Keeva Baxter.   Throughout the course of our project work, through speaking to people who have been affected by crime or those working in criminal justice settings, we have found that one key barrier to Restorative Justice is the accessibility of information. Restorative Justice can […]

Support for Restorative Justice raised in Parliament

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator Keeva Baxter.   On Tuesday 27th of June, Elliot Colburn MP raised the topic of Restorative Justice in the Victims Bill Committee debate in the House of Commons. He put forward an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners’ Bill which would give victims of crime […]

Overcoming Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System

In this blog, Diana Sutton, Director of The Bell Foundation, highlights the existing language barriers that can prevent people who speak English as a second or additional language (ESL) in the Criminal Justice System from accessing their rights and entitlements. Diana then explores how these barriers can be overcome, signposting some free resources that can […]

Restorative Justice Matters and Works

In this blog, our Director Lucy Jaffé reflects on the global Restorative Justice gathering in Pamplona last month.   At a time when Ukraine is under attack, there is mass migration, increasing inequality and the climate is changing rapidly, it is easy to despair. But, I believe that people have the potential to live fulfilling […]

Why me?’s Radio 4 Charity Appeal

This is a blog by our Fundraising and PR Officer Lucy Harris.   Why me? are excited to announce we have been selected to broadcast a BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal.  Radio 4’s Appeals are a programme highlighting the work of a charity each week and appealing for donations. It reaches a weekly audience of […]

Victims and Prisoners’ Bill Update – June 2023

This is a blog by our Director, Lucy Jaffé.   As you know, Why me? have fought long and hard to have the right to Restorative Justice (RJ) enshrined in law. This briefing is to bring you up-to-date with the progress of the long-awaited Victims and Prisoner’s Bill and the implications this has for Restorative […]

Revolutionising the Criminal Justice System through Restorative Justice

In this blog, Kate Aldous, our new Strategic Programmes Manager shares what interests her about Why me? and Restorative Justice.   I am excited to be starting as Strategic Programmes Manager at Why me? because I see the potential of Restorative Justice to revolutionise our Criminal Justice System. Imagine if, instead of judging, blaming and […]

PRIDE: Empowering the LGBTQ+ community through Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Youth Justice Lead Leah Robinson and Communications and Events Coordinator Keeva Baxter.   This week marks the beginning of Pride Month 2023, a month dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community at a global level. While much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go towards […]

Proving the value of your restorative work

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Coordinator Keeva Baxter.   Restorative Justice can transform the lives of people affected by crime. This is made clear by the testimony of the people who have been through the process themselves. Whilst practitioners see the transformative effects of Restorative Justice in our day to day […]

Overcoming language barriers in the restorative process

This is a blog by Dr Sarah Maitland, Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London.   In an exciting new collaboration, Why me? and Goldsmiths, University of London are working together to explore how research in the university sector can be used to support more equitable access to Restorative Justice for speakers […]

Restorative Justice from a Children’s Rights Perspective

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Officer Keeva Baxter. Restorative Justice and trauma-informed practice are often seen as conflicting principles. However, they can be used in combination to help protect the rights of young people affected by crime. Many young people caught up in the Criminal Justice System have been the victim […]

Restorative Justice works: improving victims’ access to justice

Last week, Why me? published a briefing paper in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Alliance and the Restorative Justice Council about Restorative Justice provision within the Victims’ and Prisoners’ Bill. The briefing note can be found here. Alternatively, if you require additional accessibility support you may view the briefing note on our webpage below. Click […]

Restorative policing: rebuilding public trust

This is a blog written by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. This weekend, the Metropolitan Police Force is expected to undertake one of its largest security operations yet as hundreds of thousands of people will flock to London for the coronation of King Charles. Nearly 30,000 police officers will be deployed across the […]

Restorative Justice: A Path Towards Healing From Political Bullying Rhetoric

This is a blog by Jenika Scott, a student in the Michigan School of Social Work who is researching the bullying rhetoric in politics and its impact on marginalised communities. Through her research, she is exploring how restorative practices can be used to repair some of the harm caused by this bullying rhetoric. 

Restorative Justice – A powerful lens to address harm caused by slavery

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé. British institutions are increasingly recognising that the origins of the wealth they enjoy today comes from historical endeavours based on slavery.

Repairing the harm caused by retail crime

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Officer Keeva Baxter.   Why me? have recently reached the end of phase one of our project Putting Victims of Retail Crime First through Restorative Justice. Over the course of the last six months we have been working in Torquay to increase awareness of Restorative Justice […]

Restorative Justice can be used to address anti-social behaviour, but it must be used right

Communities need urgent support to address anti-social behaviour in their area. But what kind of support do they want, how is that decided and what is going to make a lasting difference in complex situations? Our Director Lucy Jaffe explores.

Will the Victims and Prisoners Bill improve victims’ rights to Restorative Justice?

This is a blog written by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. This week, the Victims Bill was introduced to the House of Commons as the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Why me? are pleased to see that the much-anticipated legislation has been formally introduced following over a year of extensive consultation with the public, […]

Baroness Casey Review: Healing decades of harm

This is a blog written by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. This week Baroness Casey found the Metropolitan Police Service to be institutionally racist, homophobic, and misogynist in an independent review of the behaviour and internal culture of the service. The Casey review identified institutional and systemic failings that have allowed discrimination to […]

Understanding barriers to Restorative Justice for young people, young adults and victims of crime

This week, Why me? has published our report ‘Understanding barriers to Restorative Justice for young people, young adults and victims of crime‘. Drawing together findings of Why me?’s three-year youth justice project, through which we conducted a total of seven partnerships, 32 service user interviews, 39 staff members interviews, five focus groups and four restorative […]

Healing the divides: restorative solutions for hate crime

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé. Over recent months, Britain has seen a sharp increase in hate crimes. Reported racially motivated hate crimes surpassed 100,000 cases in October last year, and homophobic and transphobic hate crime is at an all-time high.  The impact of hate crime on communities is vast. Those who […]

Putting Victims First: Restorative Justice and Retail Crime

This is a blog by Communications and Events Officer Keeva Baxter and Why me? Consultant Trevor Watson.   Last week, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) released their annual Crime Survey for 2023. The latest figures reveal that violence and abuse towards retail staff has almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels. As the BRC point out […]

Listening to the voices of young people

This is a blog by our Development Officer (Youth Justice) Leah Robinson.   On the 16th March we will be launching our Youth Justice report and holding a free online launch event from 2pm-4pm. This event will see Project Lead Leah Robinson explain the work that has been completed on the project and, together with […]

How does Why me? use core funding? 

This blog is written by Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris.    Why me? launched our urgent appeal for donations two weeks ago. Thank you to everyone who has helped us raise nearly £5,500. Our Chair of Trustees, Gillian Slovo, has recorded this message for all of our supporters: Why me?’s project work is generously funded by […]

Valuing Victims 2023: Restorative Justice needs a national reporting framework

This is a blog written by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford.   Why me? has published its eighth annual report in the Valuing Victims series. Each year, Why me? requests the data supplied to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) by the 42 police areas in England and Wales via a Freedom of Information […]

re:hub launches new Restorative Justice policy framework

This week re:hub, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s restorative hub, published a policy framework on Restorative practice. The framework lays out the professional responsibilities of offender managers, probation practitioners, and victim liaison officers (VLOs) in the ‘referral and suitability assessment process’ for Restorative Justice services. It also provides wider guidance on using Restorative practice with people […]

The role of forgiveness within Restorative Justice: young people who have been both harmed and harmer

This is a blog by our Development Officer (Youth Justice) Leah Robinson. This month Leah spoke at the First International Conference on Forgiveness and Being Forgiven. Here she shares takeaways from her session on the role of forgiveness in Restorative Justice. 

Restorative Justice: meeting survivors’ needs

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford.    Last week SkyNews published an extensive report looking into using Restorative Justice for domestic violence. Why me? were pleased to work closely with SkyNews on the piece, supporting our ambassadors Lucy and Janika to share their stories on film.   For Lucy […]

Restorative Justice and the Victims Bill

This blog is by our Campaigns and Communications Manager, Meka Beresford.   Yesterday the Government published its much-anticipated response to the Justice Select Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny report into the draft Victims Bill.

Transforming Lives in 2023 

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffé. On a Thursday evening last year, I was cycling home when two men came up behind me on a moped and attempted to steal my bike. My screaming alerted dog walkers who scared them away. I kept my bike, but I was also left with physical […]

The year in review: 2022 at Why me?

This year at Why me? we have continued to pave the way for better access to Restorative Justice. Through our ambassador network, events, policy, and project work we have reached thousands of people to increase awareness of Restorative Justice and make sure that everyone has the option to engage with Restorative Justice. We would like […]

Using Restorative Justice for faith-based hate crime

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. With rising hate crime in the UK, including religious hate crime, there is an urgent need to find new approaches to strengthening community interfaith relations.

Can you help support us?

This is a blog by our Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris.   Why me? need your help to ensure more lives are transformed through Restorative Justice. This year, we’re asking you to support Why me? by using Easyfundraising and Amazon Smile. By signing up to support us via these platforms, you can collect donations for Why […]

The Economic Case for Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris.   This week, Why me? and economist Frank Grimsey Jones have released our pioneering and highly anticipated Economic Evaluation report and economic model of Restorative Justice (RJ). The report and model are the culmination of a research project comparing restorative interventions for victims of crime and […]

Restorative Justice Week 2022: How can we widen access to Restorative Justice?

This is a blog by our Communications and Events Officer Keeva Baxter.   This week is Restorative Justice Week 2022, an opportunity to raise awareness of Restorative Justice and the transformative effect it can have on the lives of people affected by crime. The theme this year is ‘Access to Restorative Justice’. Whilst the Victims […]

Youth Justice: Exploring good practice

This blog is written by our Restorative Justice Development Officer (Youth Justice), Leah Robinson.    As part of our Youth Justice Project, project lead Leah Robinson has written a Good Practice Guide for Youth Justice Services (YJSs) as a culmination of the work done over the past two years. We have compiled our learnings into […]

The National Strategy for Out of Court Disposals: What about Restorative Justice?

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. Recently, the NPCC have released its 2022-2027 National Strategy for Out of Court Disposals (OOCDs). The new plan seeks to improve the effective use of OOCDs in order to reduce reoffending through education and support.  An OOCD deals with people who have committed […]

Restorative Justice Week 2022: A summary

This is a blog by Communications and Events Officer Keeva Baxter. The blog was updated on the 29th of November 2022.   Restorative Justice Week took place last week, and was packed full of exciting events, discussions and activities. This year’s theme was ‘Access to Restorative Justice’. Thank you to all those who joined us […]

How can we champion survivors’ voices?

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. Last week, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its final report drawing on 15 investigations and 19 related investigation reports that have taken place since the Inquiry began its first investigations in 2015. The Inquiry put the voices of survivors at […]

Restorative Justice and Race: becoming an antiracist sector

This is a blog written by our Director, Lucy Jaffé and our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. Racialised groups are disproportionately and adversely affected by crime and by institutional responses to crime. They are frequently over-policed and face increased trauma when trying to access justice. When it comes to Restorative Justice, there is anecdotal […]

National Hate Crime Awareness Week: Using RJ to address hate crime

This blog is written by our Restorative Justice Development Officer (Youth Justice), Leah Robinson.  At Why me? we know that Restorative Justice has the power and potential of creating a safe and enabling space in which victims of hate can begin to heal. During this Hate Crime Awareness Week, we highlighted how Restorative Justice helps […]

The Victims Bill: A missed opportunity?

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. Last week the Justice Select Committee released its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the draft Victims Bill and made recommendations that would see victims’ access to Restorative Justice improve vastly if the Government seizes the opportunity to implement them. Over the last year, Why […]

Who’s looking after victims?

This is a blog written by our Director, Lucy Jaffé. The HMICFRS inspectorate report on the Metropolitan Police released last week has called on the force to ‘get better’ at responding to the public, as inspectors found that victims’ decisions and wishes are not being properly recorded by officers.

A restorative process: Identifying Key Performance Indicators for the Youth Justice Board

This is a blog written by our Restorative Justice Development Officer (Youth Justice), Leah Robinson on September 22nd. This blog was updated on November 10th.  The Youth Justice Board has introduced a tenth Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which will track engagement with Restorative Justice. This comes after Why me? submitted a series of recommendations that […]

Restorative approaches in prison 

This blog was written by Communications Officer Keeva Baxter.

How can we widen access to Restorative Justice within migrant communities?

This is a blog by Communications Officer Keeva Baxter and Development Officer Sula Blankenberg.   Why me?’s Development Officer Sula Blankenberg, and Communications Officer Keeva Baxter visited PBIC, a migrant community organisation based in Bedford, as part of our work on Project Articulate last week.  PBIC was established in response to migrants’ needs for support […]

Using Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford 

Help us support the 95% of victims who don’t know about RJ

This is a blog by our Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris and Communications Officer Keeva Baxter.   All victims of crime are entitled to information about Restorative Justice under the Victims Code of Practice, but the government’s Crime Survey for England and Wales revealed only 5% of victims with a known offender recall being given information […]

How can Restorative Justice meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community?

Reflections from facilitating a National Roundtable This is a blog written by Why me?’s Restorative Justice Development Officer (Youth Justice), Leah Robinson.   On Tuesday 9th August, we held an LGBTQ+ National Restorative Justice Roundtable. This event was held as part of the Why me? Access to Justice LGBTQ+ hate crime project with the aims […]

Creating an inclusive online experience at Why me? 

This is a blog by Development Officer Sula Blankenberg.   At Why me? we work with a diverse range of people with different needs and we pride ourselves on being an organisation that goes the extra mile to always improve communication and quality of service for our service users and staff. In line with the […]

Does the new Out Of Court Disposal framework have implications for Restorative Justice? 

This is a blog by Why me? consultant Trevor Watson.    The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 provided powers to allow for the preparation of a code of practice to accompany the new two-tier Out of Court Disposal framework. 

Join us for the launch of our Economic Evaluation of Restorative Justice project

This is a blog by our Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris.   Do you want to know how to measure the economic value of your restorative work? Do you want to hear our key findings on the cost benefit of Restorative Justice? On Thursday 29th September, Why me? are holding a free event to launch our […]

Embedding restorative practices when working with young people

This is a blog by Restorative Justice Development Officer (Youth Justice), Leah Robinson.  Trauma-informed practice requires working according to a person’s entire life experiences in a holistic way, adopting a person-centred approach and focusing on ‘what happened to you?’ as opposed to ‘what’s wrong with you?’.  Restorative practices involve separating the person from the action […]

What is happening with the Victims Bill?

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. Following the publication of the draft Victims Bill in May, the Justice Select Committee undertook pre-legislative scrutiny to consider any changes that need to be made to the Victims Bill before it is introduced to parliament.

Using RJ to heal historic sexual harm

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford and Development Officer Sula Blankenberg. 

Power, Privilege, and Collaboration: Reflections from the EFRJ Conference

Last month, Why me? Director Lucy Jaffé and Development Officer Sula Blankenberg attended the 11th annual European Forum for Restorative Justice conference. Whilst there, they presented on Project Articulate, our project aiming to widen access to Restorative Justice (RJ) for people who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL). Here, they share their learnings and […]

Join our 95:95 challenge 

This is a blog by our Fundraising Officer Lucy Harris.   This September, the Why me? team are inviting you to join us for our 95:95 sponsored challenge. Our team will be collectively travelling a distance of 95 miles to raise awareness of the 95% of victims of crime who are not told about their entitlement to […]

‘I knew what I needed to heal’: Report calls for improved access to RJ for victims and offenders

This is a blog by Ken Sutton, Secretary to the Independent Commission into the Experience of Victims and Long-Term Prisoners.

Take Action: write to your MP

On May 25th, the draft Victims’ Bill was published. The much-anticipated draft offered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enshrine victims’ rights in law. This has never been done before in a single piece of legislation.

Pride Month 2022: Empowering the LGBTQ+ community to take part in Restorative Justice

This is a blog by Development Officer Leah Robinson.   Last week marked the beginning of Pride Month 2022, a month dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community at a global level. Why me? wants to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of raising awareness of and increasing access to Restorative Justice (RJ) for LGBTQ+ […]

It is time for a National Restorative Justice Action Plan

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford This week Scottish Justice Minister Keith Brown announced the launch of a new national Restorative Justice hub and regional test hubs in Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders area.

Why me? Annual Conference 2022: Breaking down barriers

This is a blog by Communications Officer Keeva Baxter.   On Wednesday 25th of May, we held our first Annual Conference, with a focus on Promoting Equality in Restorative Justice. We heard from a range of speakers who sparked discussions and debates around how we can create more inclusive access to Restorative Justice. As our […]

What does the draft Victims Bill mean for Restorative Justice?

Today (May 25, 2022) the draft Victims’ Bill was published. The much anticipated draft offered a once in a generation opportunity to enshrine victims’ rights in law. This has never been done before in a single piece of legislation.

Meet the Why me? Annual Conference speakers

Our Why me? Annual Conference is fast approaching and tickets are selling out fast. Make sure to get your ticket before May 19th. Meet our full list of speakers for the day who will be discussing promoting equality in Restorative Justice.

Running for Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Fundraising and Public Relations Officer Lucy Harris

A chance for change

This is a blog by Director Lucy Jaffé.    We need big change to reap the rewards of Restorative Justice (RJ), and right now in the UK there is a real opportunity for the Government to commit to making it available for everyone affected by crime and conflict.

Insights from the Project Articulate Roundtable 2022

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Development Officer Sula Blankenberg.   People with English as an Additional Language (EAL) may find it difficult to access Restorative Justice. In addition to language, complex terminology, cultural differences, and a lack of trust are also barriers to accessing services in the justice system.  On 24 March […]

Restorative Justice for victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence

This month, Why me? are launching a new project which will seek to understand the access that domestic and sexual violence victims have to Restorative Justice (RJ). The project, kindly funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, builds on our paper and subsequent forum from 2021 on the topic, which found that RJ can empower […]

Supporting the supervisors – Why me? to launch Peer Supervision Group

This is a blog by our Deputy Director Linda Millington.   As a practitioner I have always valued the support I’ve received from my case supervisors. This is especially true when I’ve worked on complex and sensitive cases, which sometimes have broken new ground on when Restorative Justice can be used. Part of my role […]

Lee Valley Velopark Sponsored Race – Saturday 30th April

This is a blog by our Fundraising and Public Relations Intern Lucy Harris. Why me? are excited to announce that we will be participating in our first team sponsored event on Saturday 30th April. At the Lee Valley Velopark in London, our team will take part in either a Half Marathon, 10 mile, 10k, 5k […]

World Café – a restorative practice

This is a blog by our Trustee Belinda Hopkins.   For our first ever annual conference, we want to ensure that participants get a sense of what ‘restorative’ means not just from keynote speakers, panel discussions and workshops but from their experience throughout the day.  As well as the speeches, panel discussions, engaging workshops and […]

Child Q: Can Restorative Justice help heal the harms of racism?

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford. This week, it came to light that a 15-year-old Black school girl was strip searched, while on her period, at her school in Hackney in the middle of an exam after being accused of smelling like cannabis.  In breach of guidelines, no appropriate […]

Project Articulate: Restorative Justice and Cultural Translation

This is a blog by our Project Articulate Evaluators Tim Chapman and Sarah Maitland.   One of the key elements of Restorative Justice that distinguishes it from other approaches to addressing crime and justice, is dialogue. Through facilitated restorative processes, people are enabled to articulate their account of what happened, discuss what matters most to […]

Shifting the power imbalance with Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Campaigns and Communications Manager Meka Beresford.   When it comes to our justice system, I sometimes struggle to see the good. For years, I have seen so many survivors of sexual violence have their characters, their lives, carefully picked apart in courts. I’ve seen victims of hate crime let […]

Understanding the value of Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Researcher Frank Grimsey Jones.   Whilst Restorative Justice interventions have been used in the UK for some time, and all victims are required to be offered Restorative Justice under the Victims’ Code of Practice 2021, it remains the case that only a small minority of victims and perpetrators receive […]

Why me? launches new Valuing Victims report

Why me? have launched the latest in our series of Valuing Victims Reports which analyse Ministry of Justice data on the implementation of Restorative Justice across England and Wales. Why me? annually make a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Justice to access the data they have been provided by the 42 police […]

#Can’tBuyMySilence: Implications of non-disclosure agreements for Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Development Officer Leah Robinson.   The recent universities’ pledge has drawn into question the use of non-disclosure agreements for cases of sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of misconduct by universities across the country. This blog explores the implications this has for Restorative Justice. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is […]

How can Restorative Justice be used to ease the pains of the past?

This is a blog by our Development Officer Leah Robinson.   Last week marks the beginning of LGBT+ History Month 2022. This year also celebrates an important moment in LGBT+ history as being the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March in the UK in 1972.  Why me? would like to use this platform to […]

Join Lucy Fry in getting Restorative Justice rights in law

This is an interview with our ambassador Lucy Fry who was only offered Restorative Justice nine years after having been a victim of crime. We asked her about her thoughts on including Restorative Justice in the Victims’ Bill.  The Victims’ Bill is a draft piece of legislation that will enshrine victims’ rights into law. The […]

What excites me about Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Fundraising and Public Relations Officer Lucy Harris.   My enthusiasm for social and criminal justice began with my undergraduate degree in Sociology and Criminology. I have always had a keen interest in the Criminal Justice System, but a limited understanding of how it functioned, and pursued this subject with […]

Once in a generation opportunity for victims’ rights: The Victims’ Bill Consultation and Restorative Justice

This is a blog written by our Director Lucy Jaffé.   The Victims’ Bill The Victims’ Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to enshrine victims’ rights in law. This has never been done before in a single piece of legislation. The Government is consulting the public about what should be in a new […]

Widespread support for Restorative Justice amendment in the House of Lords

This is a blog by Communications Officer Keeva Baxter.   On Wednesday 12th January, a proposed Restorative Justice amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was debated during its Report Stage in the House of Lords. The amendment required the Government to publish a new Restorative Justice action plan every five years and […]

How Restorative Justice could be used for Mina Smallman and the police officer who photographed her daughters

This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Coordinator Mark Smith and Communications Intern Keeva Baxter.   This is an interview with our Restorative Justice Coordinator Mark Smith, who runs the Why me? Restorative Justice service, in response to Mina Smallman’s desire to speak to the police officer who took pictures of her daughters’ crime […]

Christmas 2021 Challenge

The Why me? Christmas 2021 Challenge is now live! This year, for the first time, we are using an inspiring story to reach out to our community for donations during the festive period. We want to share Lucy’s journey and raise funds to help more people like her in 2022. Lucy is now a Why […]

Learnings from an Action Learning Set

This is a blog by our Development Officer Leah Robinson.   An Action Learning Set (ALS) is a group of people within a shared area of work who come together to solve workplace problems. It is based on the concept that we learn best when we can focus on changing or resolving a real issue […]

Addressing hate in sport with Restorative Justice

This is a blog by our Director Lucy Jaffe.    The bullying and racist abuse experienced by Azeem Rafiq from his teammates is shocking and appalling. This behaviour and the culture which allows it to continue is completely unacceptable and needs to be addressed urgently, root and branch.  During testimony to the Digital Culture Media […]

Why me?’s response to Oscar Pistorius’ upcoming “restorative” process

The once-renowned Paralympian Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, after a trial which was closely followed across the world. He remains in prison in South Africa.  Pistorius has now served half of his sentence, and is up for possible release on parole. However, it was reported today (links […]

House of Lords debate the Restorative Justice amendment to Policing Bill

The Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) and Why me? are disappointed that last night the Government said measures to increase access to Restorative Justice, which can significantly improve the wellbeing of victims and cut reoffending, would be an “unnecessary bureaucratic burden”. We recently worked with Baroness Meacher, who tabled an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing […]

We are recruiting a Campaigns and Communications Manager

Restorative Justice transforms lives. By facilitating communication between the person affected by a crime and the person responsible, it gives victims of crime a rare opportunity to have their voices heard, get questions answered, and move forward. It can also help perpetrators to appreciate the damage they have done and change their behaviour. Why me? […]

Why me? petition supports Restorative Justice in the Victims’ Law

Restorative Justice transforms lives. People affected by crime across the country are getting the chance to have their voices heard, express how the incident affected them and move forward.  But for far too many victims of crime, Restorative Justice is something that they never know is possible. They have no idea that they may be […]

Using Restorative Justice to repair the cultural harms of the past: Black History Month edition

This is a blog by Restorative Justice Development Officer Sula Blankenberg.   This Black History Month has been a time of reflection for me. Reflection on the histories of African and Caribbean peoples in the UK and of the wider African diaspora. Reflection on Black people’s foundational contributions to the Britain we see today, because […]

Why me? recruiting a Fundraising and Public Relations Intern

Why me? are recruiting a full-time Fundraising and Public Relations Intern. They will primarily support the development of fundraising so we can not only increase the income achieved each year, but also expand awareness and reach. This includes generating funds from areas that are underdeveloped or new to Why me? such as individual giving and […]

We are looking for new partners to work with us on Project Articulate!

We are looking for new partners to work with us on Project Articulate! Project Articulate aims to widen access to Restorative Justice for people with English as an Additional Language (EAL). In year one of the project, we partnered up with Bedfordshire Signpost, Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service (YOS), Luton YOS and PBIC, a local community […]

The next big step towards tackling hate crime

This is a blog by Ben Andrew, Campaigns and Communications Manager at Why me?   Have you ever been harmed because of who you are? Because of your race, your religion, your sexuality or gender identity, your disability? Being targeted because of your identity can be more damaging than other types of crime. Research has […]