MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Alan Taylor
Date of Issue: December 15th 2009
Contact numbers:
0151 334 1135
Lib Dem office: 0151 691 8544

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – “TOUGH LOVE” FOR OFFENDERS

Designed to follow on from the publication in November 2009 of a Prison Reform Trust report, Making Amends: restorative youth justice in Northern Ireland , which reveals that re-offending rates were much lower when offenders were involved in restorative justice schemes, Wirral Liberal Democrat Councillors are building on their support of community led justice by proposing restorative justice plays a bigger role in future.

In a Notice of Motion debated in the Council Chamber at the meeting of Full Council last night (14th December), the Liberal Democrat motion secured unanimous agreement to the principle of establishing Community Justice Panels.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Alan Taylor said, “Evidence from other areas, such as Cheshire, where figures show that the re-offending rates of young offenders have dropped to 11% compared with 33% when final warning or reprimands were given , proves that re-offending rates are much lower when minor offences and anti-social behaviour is dealt with by community led sentencing. This restorative “tough love” justice approach makes sure offenders recognise the consequence and effects of their actions, make amends to their victims, and repair the damage to their community. It also allows police officers to spend more time with the victims of crime rather than in the office building up a file.

"Overall, restorative justice creates greater confidence in the justice process from victims when they have been involved in the restorative justice process. It means the offender is kept out of the criminal justice system and is not stigmatised with a criminal record. It involves getting at the cause of the crime by working with partners to deal with underlying problems where the crime may have been committed because of a drug or alcohol problem.  And, because people who have been dealt with in this way are less likely to offend again, there is a reduction in attendances at the magistrate court further down the line."

Prison Reform Trust report, Making Amends: restorative youth justice in Northern Ireland: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/standard.asp?id=2001

Full text of Restorative Justice Notice of Motion, proposed by Cllr Taylor:

    This Council notes:

    1. The publication in November 2009 of the Prison Reform Trust report, Making Amends: restorative youth justice in Northern Ireland , which reveals that reoffending rates were much lower when offenders were involved in restorative justice schemes and calls for the youth justice system to prioritise restorative justice, whereby young offenders face their victims.
    2. The excellent work being carried out by Youth Offending Service to prevent and reduce offending, protect the public and provide restorative justice to victims of crime by encouraging young people and their families to take responsibility for their behaviour.
    3. The excellent work being carried out by Merseyside Probation Trust with offenders on Community Payback to provide free labour to local communities as offenders pay back for the crimes they have committed.
    4. The increasing number of local authority and police areas, including Cheshire Police, Thames Valley Police, North Liverpool Community Justice Centre, South Yorkshire Community Justice Panels, that operate effective methods of restorative justice.
    5. That a leading Conservative think-tank, The Centre for Social Justice, has called for a Restorative Justice Act and expansion of Restorative Justice conferencing, training of police in restorative disposals and a national Restorative Justice Agency as core way in which both policing and prisons should be reformed.
    6. Liberal Democrat policy that minor offences and anti-social behaviour should be dealt with by Community Justice Panels in every town, facilitating restorative justice where offenders recognise the effects of their actions and make amends to their victims, where victims are amenable, alongside a strengthening of the probation service to enforce community sentences.

    Therefore, Council resolves to request the Local Criminal Justice Delivery Board to report to Members, including the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

    Evaluating the restorative justice pilot due to commence in 2010, led by the Youth Offending Service and run out of the Wirral Custody Suite, assessing its practical application and impact on re-offending rates, with a view to;

    1. Bringing forward proposals to establish formalised restorative justice processes in Wirral.
    2. Evaluating the feasibility of establishing Community Justice Panels in Wirral.