Community Based Restorative Justice Schemes
05/12/2005
Welcoming the publication for consultation of the Government’s proposed guidelines for community based restorative justice schemes, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Kit Chivers said:
“The Criminal Justice Review concluded that community based restorative justice schemes could have a useful part to play in dealing with low-level crime, provided they met the strict criteria specified by the Review.
“One of those criteria was that the schemes should be subject to regular inspection by the independent Criminal Justice Inspectorate (CJI). CJI has always known that it might be called upon to perform this role, and it is prepared for it.
“CJI will be talking with the schemes and with the police and other statutory agencies during the consultation period to make detailed plans for what will be involved. Following the consultation period CJI will publish its proposed inspection framework, drawing on its standard inspection approach and applying it to the guidelines as they are eventually finalised.
“CJI will be taking on this task in the belief that the schemes have the potential to succeed in meeting the criteria; and CJI will, as it always does, inspect in a supportive manner. But if any scheme fails to meet the criteria Inspectors will not hesitate to say so. CJI will report publicly the results of its inspections.”