Cllr Ros Kayes and Cllr Dave Rickard at Bridport Magistrates Court
For the last 18 months Lib Dem-run Bridport Town Council has been supporting a pioneering project to bring local restorative justice to our community, by way of Community Justice Panels (CJPs).
The idea was introduced by Cllr. Dave Rickard who saw a successful pilot working wonders in Somerset. With support of Cllr. Ros Kayes they developed the project through the Town Council, using its new powers of Social Wellbeing.
Supported by the District Council, Magna and Raglan Housing Associations together with the Police, a steering group has successfully supported the training of ten local volunteer facilitators. Under police supervision they have already dealt with over a dozen cases.
Restorative Justice brings wrongdoers together with the victim in a conference to see the harm they have caused. This enables them to recognise the consequences of their behaviour, with the victim being able to explain the impact and repercussions of their crime. Both victim and wrongdoer then agree a course of action to make amends for their behaviour.
It is now clear that where CJPs are used they greatly reduce re-offending rates. This increases public confidence in the justice system because it is delivered locally and is more transparent.
CJPs also increase victim satisfaction in getting relatively swift reparation and closure and it saves police time and money by keeping low level crime out of the criminal justice system.
It meets many of the criteria for the Coalition Government’s ‘localism’ agenda and is proving so successful that the steering group and the police are now looking to roll it out across West Dorset and eventually the whole of Dorset.
Yet another good Liberal Democrat community idea put into practice.
