Seeking Restorative Justice for Scotland’s witch trials
This is a guest blog by Claire Standen, founder and CEO of Reclamation, SCIO status pending. In January 2026, I hit send on an email that I had no idea would change the direction of my life. I wrote to the Church of Scotland asking a simple question: what would restorative justice look like […]
Preserving the voices of Restorative Justice
This is a blog by Keeva Baxter, Project Manager of Why me?’s Damage and Repair Project. Part of the power of the Restorative Justice process is that it gives people affected by crime a voice – something that both the crime and the justice system frequently deny. We know that many crimes leave victims […]
The sector responds to new ReHub policy in letter to Lord Timpson
On Wednesday this week (1st July), Why me? submitted a letter to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons and Probation, outlining the sector’s concerns with ReHub’s new policy. Signed by over 45 other organisations and practitioners, the letter was based on a consultation process where Why me? gathered the views of the restorative sector. ReHub’s new […]
Saving Face: New short film depicting Restorative Justice, informed by lived experience
A new short film about the power of Restorative Justice has been released, in collaboration with Kestrel Theatre, who deliver in prison theatre workshops. Dorothy Allen-Pickard, the film’s Director said the following: “We wanted to make this film to develop a way of telling stories about prison, crime and restorative justice that places people with lived […]
A safe way to deliver Restorative Justice for domestic and sexual violence
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter. When the Labour Government came into power in 2024, they pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. This ambitious but necessary commitment is going to be a challenge for them to achieve if serious changes aren’t made. The […]
Addressing intergenerational trauma through restorative approaches
This is a blog by our Restorative Justice Programme Manager, Anika Cosgrove. In my personal life, my family background has motivated an interest in the history of enslavement and indentured labourers. It is a sustained dehumanising period of history that includes incredible stories of resilience, strength and bravery that deserves to be remembered. Recently, during […]
ReHub share update on ‘presumption of unsuitability’ for certain crime types
This is a blog by Why me? CEO, Sara Dowling. This week, Why me? received further communication from ReHub (HMPPS’ Restorative Practice Hub) as part of their internal review. The update focused on the implementation of the new policy, which will introduce a ‘presumption of unsuitability’ of Restorative Justice for certain types of crimes. […]
Government highlight Restorative Justice in new Youth Justice White Paper
This month, the Ministry of Justice have published a new White Paper titled ‘Cutting youth crime, changing young lives’. To accompany the policy paper, they released the following statement: “Over the last 2 decades, the youth justice system in England and Wales has delivered significant progress, with fewer children entering the system and fewer in […]
Why me? launches new organisational strategy
Why me? is delighted to share our new organisational strategy, setting out our priorities and areas of focus for the years ahead. The strategy reflects the work already underway, as well as our direction of travel as we continue to champion Restorative Justice. Our vision is to see Restorative Justice at the heart of a […]
From activism to reconciliation: Why this work, why now?
This is a guest blog by Caroline Walsh, an experienced Restorative Justice Facilitator. We are living through a period of intensified division. Public debate is harder, trust in institutions is fragile, and disagreement increasingly feels personal rather than political. What might once have been differences of opinion now often land as questions of identity, […]