Research

UK Research

RJC summary of Ministry Justice research into restorative justice Feb 2010.

Matrix Evidence - Economic Analysis of interventions for young offenders.
Independent expert analysis of the economic benefits of restorative justice has revealed that restorative justice would likely lead to a net benefit of over £1billion over ten years. The report concludes that diverting young offenders from community orders to a pre-court restorative justice conferencing scheme would produce a life time saving to society of almost £275 million (£7,050 per offender). The cost of implementing the scheme would be paid back in the first year and during the course of two parliaments (10 years) society would benefit by over £1billion. 

Fact Sheet: The impact of Restorative Justice 'What we are learning from research'   International Research 

2008
Does restorative justice affect reconviction? The fourth report from the evaluation of three schemes
RJC brief of the Ministry of Justice fourth report on Restorative Justice (Oct 2008)

In June 2008, the Ministry of Justice released its final report into the Restorative Justice trials that began in 2001.

The concluding report covers the results of the research regarding the impact of RJ on reconviction rates as well as how cost effective the intervention is.

The report shows:

A significant decrease in the frequency of reconviction over the following two years, looking over all the trials, schemes and groups. Offenders’ reoffending decelerated.

A large impact on the JRC Northumbria court property trial that there was a reduced likelihood and severity of reoffending for the following two years against the control group - and significantly fewer reconvictions for the JRC Northumbria site as a whole.

RJ can produce costs savings - from £1 per £1 spent on RJ to £9 per £1 spent on RJ depending on the setting.

Professor Joanna Shapland spoke at the RJC AGM on the 9th of July 2008 summarising the findings of the 4th report. You can download the powerpoint slides that accompanied her presentation here.

UK Research :  2007

Restorative justice: the views of victims and offenders: The third report from the evaluation of three schemesPublished 19th June 2007

Research published by the Ministry of Justice shows that 85% of victims and 80% of offenders were satisfied with their experience of a Restorative Justice conference – a meeting between the victim and offender with supporters of each present.

The Report ‘Restorative Justice: the views of victims and offenders’ also showed that;

• 78% of victims who took part in RJ conferences said they would recommend it to other victims
• 90% of victims who took part in an RJ conference received an apology from the offender in their case; as compared with only 19% of victims in the control group
• Only 6 victims, and 6 offenders, out of 152 offenders and 216 victims interviewed, were dissatisfied with the RJ conference after taking part
• Around 80% of offenders who took part in the RJ conference thought it would lessen their likelihood of re-offending.
• Victims who had been through a Restorative Justice conference were more likely to think the sentence the offender had received was fair, than victims in the control group who did not participate in RJ
• This research compares with just 33% of victims who think the CJS meets their needs; and 41% of victims who think the CJS brings offenders to justice [British Crime Survey 04-05]

This English research tallies with research from around the world showing the extremely strong victim benefits from restorative justice; and that RJ can give offenders the insight and motivation to stop offending.

 1. This research report is the third from Professor Joanna Shapland at Sheffield University. Her reports were commissioned by the Home Office to provide an independent evaluation of the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme Restorative Justice research projects. The first two reports, looking at how the schemes were set up, and at the RJ process itself, were published by the Home Office in 2004 and 2006, and can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr3204.pdf  (download available here) and http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/r274.pdf (download available here)

      February

      New Report from Cambridge University - Restorative Justice,

      The Evidence

      Published by the Smith Institute      

A robust and rigorous report by a research team at Cambridge University, led by eminent American criminologist Larry Sherman, which independently reviews RJ schemes in the UK and internationally. The report concludes that after participating in an RJ process, in particular a face to face meeting with victims, that offenders are less likely to reoffend. The report also demonstrates the benefits of RJ to victims of crime, helping them to recover and lessening their desire for revenge.

One surprise finding of the report is that whilst RJ has been typically employed for tackling youth offending in the UK, that it can work even better with adult offenders.

• 2006
  
• 2005 
  
• 2004
  
• 2001-2003
  

• 1990's

To view research specific to the school or prison setting, please go to 'About RJ'

The concluding report covers the results of the research regarding the impact of RJ on reconviction rates as well as how cost effective the intervention is.

The report shows:

A significant decrease in the frequency of reconviction over the following two years, looking over all the trials, schemes and groups. Offenders’ reoffending decelerated.

A large impact on the JRC Northumbria court property trial that there was a reduced likelihood and severity of reoffending for the following two years against the control group - and significantly fewer reconvictions for the JRC Northumbria site as a whole.

RJ can produce costs savings - from £1 per £1 spent on RJ to £9 per £1 spent on RJ depending on the setting.

(all)

Restorative justice produced the greatest benefit to society of all the schemes considered in the analysis.