About Us

RJS4C Ireland

About The Project

Restorative Justice: Strategies for Change (RJS4C) aims to support the development of restorative justice in Europe.

In ten countries, a core group of four persons – the ‘Core Members’ – are collaborating with domestic policymakers, practitioners, researchers, activists and other interested parties – the ‘Stakeholder Group’ – to co-create national strategies to guide their work.

This website hosts the work of the Irish partners.

project purpose

The purpose of the project is threefold:

  • to refocus European criminal justice systems, agencies, policies and practices around restorative principles and processes;
  • to share successful strategies used to develop law, regulation, policy, practice and public awareness around restorative justice; and,
  • to determine how the Council of Europe Recommendation concerning restorative justice could be used as a vehicle to support this work.

The project involves partners in Albania, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ireland and Scotland. In each, up to four persons from policy, practice, academia and civil society act as Core Members.  RJS4C is coordinated by Dr. Ian Marder (Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology), Gert Jan Slump (Restorative Justice Nederland) and the European Forum for Restorative Justice.

Image credit: Designed by Lindsey Pointer & Illustrated by Phil Dickinson

Case Studies & Service Mapping

Case Studies & Service Mapping

Activities in Partner RJS4C Jurisdictions

Core Members organise national meetings with their Stakeholder Groups to co-create strategies to develop restorative justice. In 2019, for example, the stakeholder groups met in Utrecht, Rome, Tallinn, Maynooth and Edinburgh. Core Members have organised several international conferences on restorative justice (e.g. in Prague, Limerick and Tallinn). In January 2019, the Polish group launched a Facebook page to support their campaign, and in June 2019, Ireland and Scotland published national strategies. In 2020, the Czechs launched a national institute of restorative justice.