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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for community justice panels (u.k.)
1 results foundAuthor: Meadows, Linda Title: Evaluation of Sheffield City Council's Community Justice Panels Project Summary: This report is the output of an evaluation commissioned by Sheffield City Council and undertaken by the Hallam Centre for Community Justice at Sheffield Hallam University. The evaluation was undertaken during October and November 2009 with the objectives of assessing the effectiveness of the Community Justice Panels project so far and providing recommendations for future development. The evaluation used an action research methodology and included documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with strategic partners and stakeholders, wrongdoers and harmed persons, facilitator focus group and observation of the Panels. Community Justice Panels were introduced in Sheffield in June 2009, following approval from Sheffield City Council with the objectives of: • Reducing re-offending and involvement in anti-social behaviour and low-level crime; • Improving victim satisfaction and community engagement; • Making communities safer; and • Increasing volunteering; • Reducing police administration time. The model adopted was based on the implementation of Community Justice Panels in Chard, Somerset. Initially conceived as a pilot covering Ecclesfield and Broomhill Safer Neighbourhood Areas, the project was extended in August to cover the whole of Sheffield. Community Justice Panels are a possible disposal for first-time, low-level offences can involve both criminal and anti-social incidents and can be referred from sources including police, and registered social landlords. They bring together the wrongdoer and harmed person, along with supporters, to discuss what has happened, how it has affected them and how all parties can move forward. Outcomes usually involve some form of reparation on behalf of the wrongdoer, to make good for the harm caused. The objectives of the Panels themselves are to: • Provide face to face contact between the wrongdoer and harmed person; • Give victims a voice • Provide an opportunity for the wrongdoer to apologise; • Enable agreement of reparation to mitigate the harm caused to the harmed person Although there are other examples of similar projects in the UK, including the Chard model on which this was based1, the pilot is particularly innovative in the UK context in its implementation in a city of the size of Sheffield. At the time of the evaluation, the project had only been operational for a period of five months. Although clearly at a very early stage, the project has already made some significant achievements including: • Roll out of the project across the whole of Sheffield • Successful engagement at a strategic and operational level of key stakeholders and partners from a range of agencies • Establishment of effective working practices and information sharing protocols • Recruitment and training of 23 high quality facilitators from a diverse range of backgrounds • Recruitment of a professional, committed and effective Community Justice Panels staff team • Achievement of 20 referrals and five panels. This is in line with expectations based on the Chard model and co-ordinators have recently reported significant increases • Well run, and effective Panels which were perceived as fair by participants • Positive responses to most aspects of the Panels process by wrongdoers and harmed persons, including the quality of facilitation and support prior to and during the Panel; • Positive impact of participation on wrongdoers and the majority of harmed persons, including (in the wrongdoers' case) an impact on future behaviour The evaluation identified a number of key areas for development at both a strategic and operational level and these are summarised in the recommendations section below: Details: Sheffield, UK: Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, 2010. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2013 at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/7053/ Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/7053/ Shelf Number: 129033 Keywords: Community Justice Panels (U.K.)Restorative JusticeVictim-Offender Mediation |