The Common Ground Justice Project have published a new report called ‘Held to account’, exploring the “loss of confidence in the criminal justice system and what the public actually want from reform to rebuild trust”.
The report begins with co-founder Jacob Dunne sharing his experience of Restorative Justice, meeting the parents of James Hodgkinson, the man he killed in a one-punch manslaughter.
“That process taught me something about justice that punishment alone never could. It gave me the motivation to completely change my life.”
“Our experience has taught me that justice is not necessarily a choice between consequences and rehabilitation, or between the needs of victims and perpetrators of crime. Acknowledging harm, giving victims a voice, taking responsibility, facing consequences and demonstrating change over time can all be part of holding someone properly to account.”
What did the report find?
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A majority (53%) of women under-35 feel likely to suffer a violent or sexual crime in the next year
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Fewer than one in five (18%) of all voters think offenders usually face real consequences
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The public don’t rate the justice system as doing a good job on any of its core functions
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Voters are less divided on criminal justice than the debate suggests – they want a balance of punishment and rehabilitation and are most united by the principle of people taking responsibility for the harm they’ve caused
What about Restorative Justice?
There were many findings in the report that indicate an appetite for restorative interventions, even if the respondents don’t know it:
- Punishment is where many voters start, but only around one in ten lean towards the
view that a served sentence delivers accountability on its own - Accepting responsibility is the most widely endorsed form of accountability (96%) and
the most unifying. - In response to repeat offending, the public raise their demands for punishment, but
not at the cost of rehabilitation. Prison rises from the least popular response to a first
offence (17%) to the top response once offending is repeat and organised (61%). Yet
rehabilitative responses remain popular: compensation or unpaid work stays near 60%
support, while treatment and help into work also stay high. Voters mostly want both.
The report ultimately cites Restorative Justice as an example of “responsibility-focused interventions that
already exist in the justice system, and which may reflect common ground values”. They advocate for further “public engagement research and testing”. We welcome this recommendation and the recognition that Restorative Justice can help achieve common goals for justice that go beyond just punishment to provide accountability, repair and healing.
Why me? believe that this report is a crucial step towards unity and an improved justice system that provides meaningful justice for those who have been harmed. The Government’s focus on punishment and imprisonment is often a reaction to media and perceived public demand – however, ‘Held to account’ show that the general public across political divides want more than punishment alone. “Our research suggests the public is less divided than political debate often implies – and political pointscoring on crime risks obscuring the common ground that does exist.” Embedding Restorative Justice into the justice system will help to meet the needs that have been identified by giving victims of crime a voice and a way to get questions answered, whilst holding perpetrators to account and allowing them to make amends for what they have done. This is why we have been working with The Common Ground Justice Project on our ‘Right to be heard‘ campaign which calls for a legal right to Restorative Justice for all victims of crime.
We look forward to continuing our work with The Common Ground Justice Project to amplify their findings and promote positive and restorative change within the justice system.
