Damage and Repair: 20 years of Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice transforms lives. Yet, few people understand the bravery it requires to participate and the skills it takes to deliver. We are excited to capture this unique collection of the stories of people who have taken part. The Why me? Damage and Repair project will record interviews with key participants, professionals and policy-makers who have been a part of the Restorative Justice story in England and Wales between 2002-2022. As part of this exciting initiative, we will be working in association with The British Library and Sussex Pathways to showcase the extraordinary collective effort of the individuals involved.
Running between 1st April 2024 and 31st December 2025, the project will capture 2 life stories and 23 Restorative Justice stories through oral history interviews with significant people in the sector in England and Wales, with a specific focus on the Police and Crime Commission region of Sussex. By working in partnership with National Life Stories at the British Library, this collection will provide publicly accessible, primary evidence for students and researchers for years to come. This is all made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.
2002 marks the first ever Government randomised-control trials on the use of Restorative Justice for offences committed by adults. The evidence from these trials (Shapland et al 2002-2007) triggered significant state investment in Restorative Justice across the English and Welsh Criminal Justice systems from 2012. It was in one of these trials in HMP Pentonville, that Will Riley met the man who burgled and assaulted him – Peter Woolf – in a Restorative Justice meeting. Their story, depicted in the film, “The Woolf Within”, has had a positive and significant impact on the expansion of Restorative Justice and both Peter and Will’s life stories will be captured. Will, with Peter’s help, went on to set up Why me? in 2009.
There is an urgency to this work, as the original Restorative Justice participants and professional pioneers are ageing, leaving their professions or may become uncontactable or unable to recall their experiences as clearly.
Aims
This project aims to capture the heritage of the pioneering 20 years of Restorative Justice in England and Wales. By recording the stories of key people involved in Restorative Justice, we preserve its legacy, inspiring others to learn more and be a part of it themselves.
What are we doing?
- Collecting the oral history of Restorative Justice between 2002 – 2022 through two life stories and 23 Restorative Justice stories from people in England and Wales.
- Archiving the heritage of Restorative Justice at the British Library to provide publicly accessible evidence that can be used for years to come.
- Inspiring people to participate in Restorative Justice by sharing the stories of people who have been through it. We will distribute the stories through podcasts, radio, blogs and social media, and with a variety of audiences including school children, people in prison, teachers and young people.
“National Life Stories at the British Library is delighted to be working as archive partner for this important project. The oral histories from those who have experienced the restorative justice initiative will be vital for researchers today and in the future to gain new insights into the UK justice system. The recordings will complement existing collections with barristers and solicitors, those who pioneered Community Law Centres and experiences of crown court clerks.”
Mary Stewart, Lead Curator of Oral History at the British Library and Director of National Life Stories
Why are we doing it?
- To celebrate the bravery of people who took part in Restorative Justice and highlight the experiences of victims of crime who are often sidelined and unheard.
- To celebrate the skill and expertise of Restorative Justice facilitators and highlight the value of volunteers.
- To celebrate the heritage of Restorative Justice, its pioneers and first adopters.
- To showcase the importance of policy-makers in making Restorative Justice available and accessible.
- To partner with Sussex Pathways to showcase the work of Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner region, highlighting it as an area of high engagement.
- To engage children, teachers, young people, people in prison and the public by sharing the stories with them. This will allow us to communicate the importance of Restorative Justice to the next generation.
- To engage volunteers by training them to capture the oral history stories
- To communicate the value of Restorative Justice to current volunteers, professionals and policy-makers
“The archive that Why me? will be curating, thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will be invaluable to those who wish to seek further first-hand detail about what RJ entails, how it works, its outcomes and information on best practice. It is important that knowledge on this unique and powerful tool is captured, so we can continue to build on our great work and putting the victims voice at the heart of the criminal justice system.”
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne
Working in partnership
Throughout this project, we will be working in association with:
- National Life Stories at The British Library
- Sussex Pathways – “Sussex Pathways is very excited about being involved in this project, we were honoured to be asked and look forward to being an active member and the outcomes that will come from this.” Shirl Tanner, CEO
- Sussex Restorative Justice Partnership
- Association for Citizenship Teaching – “Restorative Justice is an important approach we teach about in Citizenship education to help deepen student understanding of the justice system, crime and the consequences for victims and perpetrators. This innovative project will bring those experiences to life through powerful and rich stories that will enrich classroom teaching.” Liz Moorse, CEO
- Platform B – “We are delighted to be part of this vital restorative justice project, and hope to inform and inspire our radio listeners in Brighton & Hove about the transformative power of healing and reconciliation through open dialogue and community engagement.” Nats Spada, Project Director
- Oriel School, West Sussex
- National Prison Radio
For more information or to discuss the project, please contact keeva.baxter@why-me.org. To stay up to date with the latest updates, sign up to our newsletter.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
We are grateful to National Lottery players for their support through The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Damage and Repair: 20 years of Restorative Justice is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to capture the stories of 25 people who have been involved in the pioneering 20 years of Restorative Justice in England and Wales.
