Despite positive reports recently reported by the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge University. The Independent UK reports widespread public skepticism and relatively small usage by courts. The youth knife-crime outbreak in the UK, where gun possession is highly regulated, is the subject of broadest debate, with government opting instead for the “Scared Straight” approach. Certainly not appropriate in all cases, Will Riley, chair of ‘Why me? Victims for Restorative Justice‘, said: “I was able to convey my deepest thoughts and the trauma that was affecting me from not being able to protect my family and home. It was only the day I got home after the meeting with Peter (Riley’s offender) that the feeling had gone away. I was able to restore my sense of freedom and not being a victim.”
Read more at The Independent UK at the link below.
Three pilot schemes in London, Northumbria and Thames Valley produced mixed results: a Ministry of Justice report concluded that offenders in such programmes committed “statistically significantly fewer offences” over the next two years than those who did not participate. But there was no significant impact on the severity of offences. A handful of sessions between victims and offenders even had to be abandoned as tensions spilled over.
Drawing on programmes at home and abroad, Larry Sherman, of the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge University, concluded that criminals, particularly those convicted of violent offences, were less likely to reoffend if they meet their victim. His research also suggested victims’ desire for revenge is reduced, helping their recovery from distress.
Read the entire article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/meet-your-victim-ndash-can-criminals-…
