GUEST SPEAKER: David Jopson (Restorative Justice)
At the end of 2016, David retired after 47 years in education – his last school was Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School where he was Principal for 17 years.
Since retiring David has trained as a Restorative Justice Facilitator and he gave a PowerPoint presentation about Restorative Justice. David covered the following aspects of Restorative Justice:
What it is – a victim-centred programme and an opportunity for the offender and victim to come together in a safe neutral environment
The training involved to become a facilitator.
The benefits for the victim –
Have a voice and be given time to be heard
Tell the offender how they feel about his/her actions and what the consequences of the crime have been
Ask questions about the offending
Feel more in control – for example, by hearing an apology and by agreeing to actions that will help to heal the damage
Feel a sense of justice being done (when the agreements have been carried out)
Feel less fearful of crime
And the benefits for the offender –
Be seen as a person
Have a voice and be heard – to tell their story and put the facts right
Take responsibility for the offending
Hear first-hand about the harm is done to the victims and/or community by the offence
Gain an appreciation of the impact of this harm
Have an opportunity to apologise face to face
Have an opportunity to put things right – in agreeing and carrying out agreed actions
Have their efforts to put things right considered in their sentencing
The principles of Restorative Justice and what happens before and during the conference and what the statistics show.
