Restorative justice
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Cases can be referred to restorative justice by the Courts and Police. Victims and offenders can also request to participate in restorative justice.
Restorative City Whanganui takes cases that are before the Whanganui, Marton, and Taihape Courts.
Once a case has been referred to us by a Court, it is assigned to a facilitator. The facilitator is the person who guides victims and offenders through the restorative justice process. The facilitator contacts the parties to:
A pre-conference is where one party to the case and their support person or people meet with the facilitator. They talk about the offence, what happened, what else was happening in their life around that time, how it impacted them, and how they’ve been feeling since.
Pre-conferences help to prepare people for when the victim and offender come together to talk at a hui (meeting) called the conference. The facilitator will discuss what happens at a conference and how they will keep participants safe.
Meeting cultural needs and creating an inclusive environment is an important part of restorative justice. Facilitators will check what cultural needs you, support people, or other parties may require.
Sometimes we might have more than one pre-conference before a participant feels ready to meet face to face with the other party. We don’t move forward in the process until all parties are ready and feel safe to do so.
When all the parties are ready, the facilitator will arrange a hui that brings everyone together, face to face (kanohi ki te kanohi). During this hui all parties will get a chance to share, to ask questions.
The facilitator will open the conference, read the summary of facts and ensure all parties get the chance to speak and ask questions. Parties can ask to take a break or to stop the conference at any stage.
Conferences are an opportunity for victims to reclaim their mana, or some of the power they might feel was lost when the crime was committed. Victims can share how they have been affected – physically, financially, emotionally, and mentally. This is a chance to help the offender understand the harm they caused and suggest what they could do to put that harm right.
It’s also an opportunity for an offender to show that they are taking responsibility for their actions, and to apologise to the victim. They can show they have thought about what they can do to ensure they don’t reoffend and offer ideas on how they could restore the harm they caused.
After the conference, the facilitator will write a report about what has happened, including what was discussed by parties during the conference and any outcomes that were agreed to. The report is shared with the parties and a copy is sent to the offender’s lawyer, Police or Crown Prosecutions, and to the Court. This report is read by the Judge before an offender is sentenced.