Government Report Urges Expanding Restorative Justice Services in Ireland

The Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) undertook the review of restorative justice as a part of its ongoing work of evaluating criminal justice policies. The report considers the work of four restorative justice pilot programmes currently operating in Ireland as well as international experiences. It also includes evidence gathered from a meeting of prominent criminal justice figures held in October 2006.  

The report begins with an explanation of the Joint Committee’s interest in restorative justice as an “additional option in law enforcement and judicial proceedings.”  One reason for this interest is the high level of victim and public dissatisfaction with the Irish criminal justice system. According to a public opinion survey conducted by the Irish police service, 46% of respondents felt that “victims get a raw deal in the criminal justice system.”  Conversely, the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, which began using restorative processes in May 2002, reports a high level of satisfaction among all parties participating in the programme. It has a 76 % victim participation rate and a 93% victim satisfaction rate.

Cost effectiveness is cited as another benefit of  restorative justice programmes. According to the Irish Prison Service Annual Report for 2005, the cost of caring for one prisoner for one year was €90,900. However, the Restorative Justice Services of Tallaght, which has been facilitating victim offender mediation for adult offenders since 2000, reported the cost for processing 120 cases in 2005 was €320,000 or €2,600 per offender. The Nenagh Community Reparation Project, begun in 1999, reported an average cost per offender of €1,000.

The Joint Committee made the following recommendations for expanding restorative justice throughout the country:

• Restorative justice should be developed as a more regular feature of the Irish Criminal Justice System.
• Existing restorative justice programmes for juvenile offenders should be supported. In particular, the number of Juvenile Liaison Officers should be increased to ensure that the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme is offered nationaly.
• Existing restorative justice programmes (in Tallaght and Nenagh) for adult offenders should be given greater State support.
• Restorative justice practice for adult offenders should be provided for in legislation.
• A cross-sectoral working group should be created by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to develop a national strategy for restorative justice based on international best practices.
• The working group should consider the expansion of existing criminal justice programmes (including formal cautioning, family conferencing and community service) to include restorative elements for adult offenders.
• Efforts should be made to foster awareness of restorative justice programmes amongst members of the judiciary and other professionals in the criminal justice system. Members of the judiciary must play their role by engaging with the services that have been established.
• In order to increase awareness and maximise the benefit to victims, restorative justice services should collaborate with Victim Support agencies.
• Increased funding for restorative justice should be supported by the State as an investment in more progressive methods of dealing with the effects of crime.
• The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform should assess new ways of configuring and redeploying resources in the criminal justice area.

The report was submitted to the full Parliament for consideration and is available online.

Lynette Parker
February 2007