Articles from RJ Online

These short articles featuring developments within the European region first appeared in the monthly edition of Restorative Justice Online.

New Guidelines for Implementing Mediation in Europe

In November 2007, the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) issued Guidelines for a Better Implementation of the Existing Recommendation Concerning Mediation in Penal Matters. The document urges member states of the Council of Europe to further develop the understanding and use of penal mediation and restorative justice in all aspects of the criminal justice system.

RJ in Moldova: The Institute for Penal Reform

In recent years, the Republic of Moldova has begun using restorative justice processes. This required new legislation and development of pilot projects using victim offender mediation in both juvenile and adult cases. A major supporter and advocate for these changes has been the Institute for Penal reform founded in November 2001.

Restorative Justice Developments in Luxembourg

Luxembourg's use of restorative justice processes began in 1997 when it started a victim offender mediation pilot project. In this article, Paul Schroeder, from the Centre de Médiation in Luxembourg, sketches the development of victim offender mediation in the country.

Restorative Justice In Russia

De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester, England, has been commissioned to assist with the development of restorative justice practice in the Russian Federation by the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). Working in partnership with The Center for Legal and Judicial Reform (CLJR), a Moscow based NGO, the project team will be developing a number of pilot sites for the establishment of effective practice in diverting young offenders from the criminal justice system. This article was written by Divender Curry of De Montfort University.

Restorative Justice Innovations by the Thames Valley Police Force

The Thames Valley Police Force has led the movement toward restorative justice in the United Kingdom by shifting to a problem-solving paradigm.

Restorative Justice Inroads into the United Kingdom

Over the past three years, the United Kingdom has begun to implement significant changes in its response to youth crime. A research report on initial results from 11 pilot sites was released in January 2001, and work continues toward the goal of nationwide implementation by April 2002.

Restorative Justice and Victim Offender Mediation in Romania

With encouragement from the European Union and the advocacy work of academics and civil society organizations, Romania is beginning to use victim offender mediation as an alternative to court processes in some cases. This article, drawn from an article by Dr. Doina Balahur, summarizes the recent Romanian legislation related to restorative justice. The complete article is attached.

Restorative Justice in Action: Valuing Offenders and Victims

Mark Creitzman, a project coordinator for the Enfield Youth Offending Team, describes programmes for both young offenders and victims.

Restorative Justice in Bulgaria

Dobrinka Chankova of the Institute For Conflict Resolution in Sofia, Bulagaria provides a look at the movement for restorative justice in her country.

Restorative Practice in Schools Receives a Boost in the UK.

The Youth Justice Board and the Government’s Children’s Fund in the UK are sponsoring new programs to address misbehaviour in schools. The funding is part of a greater emphasis on using restorative justice by the government. Projects will address bullying, truancy, crimes, and other destructive behaviours, in the expectation that use of restorative processes will reduce the number of students expelled from school each year.

Romanian Mediation Services Initiated

In 2003, the Victim Offender Mediation Association entered into a joint project with the Community Mediation and Safety Center in Romania. The project sought to raise public awareness about mediation, increase mediation capacity, and develop supporting legislation. This article, written by Barbara E. Raye, Annie Warner Roberts, and Sue Wiese describes the project.

Statement of Restorative Justice Principles in Schools

Lyndsey Sharp,a researcher with the Restorative Justice Consortium in London provides an overview of the development of the Consortium's Statement of Restorative Justice Principles as Applied in the School Setting.

Striving for Restorative Justice in the Czech Republic

The Association for Development of Social Work in Criminal Justice (SPJ) is an NGO in the Czech Republic working for criminal justice reform. The group has worked in developing mediation, probation, and community service. This article about their activities was written by Ludmila Hasmanová.

The Norwegian System: Restorative Elements

Several recent studies of Norway's justice system reveal a number of restorative elements. Mediation and legal aid for victims are notable examples of restorative influences on the justice system in that country.

The Politicisation of Community Restorative Justice in Northern Ireland

Community restorative justice programmes in Northern Ireland developed in an atmosphere of conflict and distrust of formal justice institutions. Recently, their informal community base has been a point of contention as these programmes have sought governmental funding. Anna Eriksson, of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice Queen’s University of Belfast, describes this politicisation of community restorative justice in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government's restorative justice strategy

The UK Government released a strategy and consultation paper on restorative justice on July 22nd. It outlined the government's commitment to developing restorative practices and asked for comments from the general public. The Home Office is now seeking international responses to the consultation paper.

Transforming Offenders in England and Wales.

The Sycamore Tree Project® is an intensive in-prison programme that brings groups of victims into prisons to meet with unrelated offenders.They talk about the effects of crime, the harms it causes, and how to make things right. Prison Fellowship of England and Wales implemented the programme in 1998. In this article, Peter Walker, executive director, offers a description of the programme and examples of its impact.

Two New Research Reports on Implementing Restorative

The Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate released two studies in September on restorative justice. These were "An Exploratory Evaluation of Restorative Justice Schemes" and "An International Review of Restorative Justice". Each report provides insight into best practices in implementing restorative justice.

Victim Offender Mediation's Potential.

Dobrinka Chankova, Director of the Institute for Conflict Resolution in Bulgaria, recently published a book on victim offender mediation. The book, written in Bulgarian, provides a history of victim offender mediation and its potential in the Bulgarian justice system. Dobrinka has provided an English summary of the book, which was published by Feneya Press in Sofia.

Victim Offender Mediation: Short Notes From Poland.

In 2003, laws and regulations concerning victim-offender mediation were modified in Poland. One result of these changes is that more cases are now eligible for VOM than before. Dr. Elżbieta Czwartosz, a professor of psychology at the University of Warsaw, reviews these developments and provides information on the number and types of cases referred to mediation in recent years, as well as the use of mediation agreements in court decisions.