About adult restorative justice
Restorative justice brings people together to address the harm caused by crime. It can bring hope and healing to those most affected.
Restorative justice is a safe place for the person harmed by a crime and the person who caused the harm to meet and talk about:
- what happened
- how they were impacted
- what needs to be done to make things right.
This is called a restorative justice conference.
Similar conferences are run for young people who have committed a crime.
This is a free service.
You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. It will only go ahead if both of you are willing to take part. You can also change your mind at any time.
A conference usually takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Matters that suit conferencing
We accept cases such as:
- theft
- fraud
- stalking
- assault occasioning bodily harm
- grievous bodily harm
- unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
We cannot accept high-risk and complex referrals, including:
- cases involving sexual violence/assault
- domestic violence
- child complainants
- gender-based violence
- contraventions of domestic violence orders (DVOs).
The convenor will assess the case to decide if it is suitable for restorative justice conferencing and will cause no further harm to either party involved.
The person responsible will need to agree to the basic facts of the case to take part in restorative justice. They must acknowledge they have caused harm and take responsibility for their actions. They need to be willing to find an acceptable way to make amends.
Cases where there is significant harm caused and high accountability are suitable for referral due to the restorative value.
Who can attend
You can tell your story, ask questions and explain how the crime has impacted your life. If you don’t feel comfortable attending, you can have a representative attend for you.
Learn what happens before, during and after a conference for the person harmed.
You will hear about the impact of what you did. You can take responsibility for your actions and take steps to make things right.
Learn what happens before, during and after a conference for the person who caused the harm.
Both parties can have support people at the conference. The support people can also talk about how the harm has impacted them.
A trained convenor guides the conference. They make sure everyone talks to each other in a safe and respectful way.
The convenor does not take sides. They work closely with both parties to help them move towards healing. They are there to help you feel supported, comfortable, and able to get the most out of the process.
Convenors are accredited mediators appointed under the Dispute Resolution Centres Act 1990.
- The persons’ families or people affected by the harm
- A representative of the person harmed
- Counsellors
- A person from an organisation that provides community support
- A well-respected member of the community—this may include local elders or the community justice group
Who arranges a conference
The police, prosecutor, or court can refer you for adult restorative justice conferencing. You can get legal advice, or you can talk to the investigating police officer or the prosecutor. To self refer, contact us on (07) 3031 6676.
Once you’ve been referred, a convenor will contact you to arrange a conference. Then you can start preparing—learn what happens before, during and after a restorative justice conference for:
Benefits of restorative justice
Restorative justice empowers you to be part of the resolution process.
For the person harmed, it is an alternative to a court process. It may also help you understand why it happened.
A conference can also help the person who caused harm understand how their actions have affected other people.
More information and support
Contact us on (07) 3031 6676 or at ARJC.enquiry@justice.qld.gov.au for more information about adult restorative justice.
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