Restorative justice and reparation for children

We will work with you to give something back to the direct victim or wider community to make things right.

Restorative justice

Restorative justice is the process of bringing together everyone who has been affected by crime, to have their voices heard, and find a positive way to move forward.

There are different options, but you may be asked to:

• make a direct apology to the people who were affected by the crime, either in person or virtually
• make an indirect apology, for example, a written letter
• do some form of community work or reparation.

Reparation

Reparation is when you make things right for the victim or the community by giving something back. Every child will take part in reparation. The number of hours you must complete will depend on the order length and how serious the offence was. Reparation activities can include:

• volunteering for a charity, such as taking care of dogs at a local animal shelter
• gardening at a local youth hub
• supporting local charities like food banks and homeless shelters
• taking part in a community project like building a garden for a local library.

Some children have recently taken part in projects as part of their reparation to:

• build a bench for their local youth hub
• create a sensory board for a child with autism
• help at the local Salvation Army
• support at a local animal retreat.

We will arrange the reparation activities and projects, but they may be completed with other children for another organisation.