September 2024 update – Scoping Inquiry rejects ‘large-scale restorative justice project’, RJC hosts first national community of practice

Scoping Inquiry rejects ‘large-scale restorative justice project’

The government has published a Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools run by Religious Orders. Volume 4 of the Inquiry has a chapter on ‘The Role of Restorative Justice in Responding to Historical Child Sexual Abuse’ (pp. 570-592) and Volume 5 includes a report on RJ and institutional abuse by the Centre for Effective Services (pp. 80-158). You can read Marie Keenan’s response to this, published today, in The Journal here.

Crucially, the report (Vol. 4 p.661) states: ‘There was relatively little support among survivors for a restorative justice scheme as a response to the revelation of sexual abuse in schools. It is also clear that, in order for a restorative justice response to be safe and effective in the context of child sexual abuse, a number of particular resources and safeguards would have to be put in place. The independent report commissioned by the Scoping Inquiry found that a further feasibility study would be necessary in order to assess this. It is therefore not recommended, at this juncture, that a large-scale restorative justice project be included as part of the government response. However, that is not to say that restorative justice values do not have a role to play, and restorative values such as accountability, respect, survivor-centredness and a focus on repair and healing have informed the Scoping Inquiry’s recommendations.’

This seems a shame, given (as Marie wrote today) the significant research supporting the use of restorative justice with sexual violence and child sexual abuse, and the various legal frameworks supporting the idea that all victims should have access to restorative justice. In July, the Restore Together group advocating for victims of sexual abuse in Spiritan schools argued that ‘any restorative justice or similar support programme already in operation or under negotiation “must not be set back or delayed in any way by the establishment by the Government of a statutory inquiry”.’

Ireland’s restorative justice providers meet for community of practice

In June, Ireland’s restorative justice providers met for their first national community of practice. Hosted by Restorative Justice in the Community (RJC), service managers and practitioners discussed their cases and talked about the facilitation challenges they encountered. You can read a review of this event from the RJC team here.

Restorative Justice Week, 17-23 November 2024 

This year, Restorative Justice Week will take place from 17-23 November. You can find the work the European Forum for Restorative Justice is doing to coordinate RJ week activities here. If you are organising any activities in Ireland, please let me know before the end of October, and I’ll send all the invitations and information out in a special RJ week email.

Irish Penal Reform Trust includes restorative justice in pre-budget submission

This week, the IPRT published its pre-budget submission, which includes call to ‘invest in community alternatives – particularly restorative justice’ to reduce prison overcrowding and financial and social costs to the state. You can find the submission here.

Other items of possible interest

• With colleagues from the Irish Prison Service and South East Technological University, we published an article on the restorative practices training recruit prison officers now receive – see here.
• In recent months, specific cases of restorative justice in Ireland have made the news, including in cases involving politician intimidation, threats to kill and burglary.
• The Roscommon Herald published an interview with Leane Keely, the Restorative Justice Officer with the new Northwest Restorative Justice Service – see here.
• The Department of Justice 2024 Action Plan says that it will ‘continue to focus on increasing effective alternatives to prison through investment in […] restorative justice’ (see p.8 here).
• Since our last update, RJS4C’s 2023 mapping exercise received some additional press in the Irish Independent and The Journal.
• Coolock community groups have called for a facilitated dialogue process following the protests there in recent months – see here.
• Mint House has organised a webinar on Environmental Restorative Justice in October – register here.