This is a guest blog by our Volunteer, Leah Stanley.
I have been volunteering with Why me? for a while now and I really believe Restorative Justice matters.
Restorative Justice puts people, not just process, at the centre. It gives those affected by harm a chance to be heard, and it gives those who caused harm a chance to understand the impact of what they did and take responsibility for it. That balance, accountability alongside understanding, is rare in most justice systems. Being part of an organisation that creates space for it in whatever small way that I can feels genuinely worthwhile.
Every piece of work I’ve done with Why me? has reinforced the same lesson – that real change happens through relationships. People are more than the worst thing that happened to them, or the worst thing they did. When you give people room to talk, listen and repair, something shifts, that’s true whether you’re the person harmed or the person who caused the harm.
This is part of what drew me to set up Through the Sentence, which is a charity supporting children and families affected by a family member’s imprisonment. Through the Sentence works directly with these families, offering 1:1 mentoring, children and young people’s group sessions and peer support sessions for caregivers. The two causes sit close together, Restorative Justice asks us to look past a single act and see the people and the relationships involved. Through the Sentence does something similar from a different angle, it recognises that when someone goes to prison, it isn’t just that person who’s affected. Children and families carry the weight too, often invisibly and without any support at all.
Volunteering with Why me? has shaped how I think about that work. It’s taught me to hold complexity without judgement and to remember that support and accountability aren’t opposites. They can, and should, sit side by side.
If you’re thinking about volunteering with Why me? I’d encourage you to get in touch. If you’d like to know more about Through the Sentence, you can reach us at throughthesentence@outlook.com.
