Restorative Justice for Restorative Communities

Restorative justice has gradually made its way into the European debate. On one side this paradigm shift is driven by the urgency to rethink the concept of punishment from a less punitive and more repairing perspective in order to recreate the bond that the crime or injustice has broken; on the other side, restorative justice became a much-needed avenue because the penalty, in the strict sense, proved to be insufficient and sometimes a counterproductive tool to combat some crimes or problems that arise today. 

The United Nations Organization has been promoting restorative justice as a central part of the penal system; the handbook on restorative justice programs (now in its second edition in 2020) constitutes a key formal element, as well as a general indicator of effort, in promoting this practice. In Europe there have been numerous initiatives that put forward the discussion of restorative justice in Member States. The Directive 2012/29/EU became the first ever legally binding document concerning restorative justice and its implementation in the EU Member States, while in 2020 the EU released its “Strategy for the rights of victims 2020-2025”, highlighting the benefits of restorative justice and the role it can play in empowering victims. In this perspective, the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) and its immense role in promoting restorative justice cannot go unnoticed. Today it is one of the most influential non-governmental entities at the continental level on the theme of justice, and constantly dialogues with the European institutions, the national judicial systems and the academia. 

Many European countries, within their own borders, have made interesting steps forward, however the situation is still patchy. Along the way, it became evident that the approach to restorative justice, can be understood as a process not only judicial, but also civil and social. This means that the application of these same practices is closely connected to the work of organizations of civil society. For this reason, their function and contribution are essential so as to prevent the principles of restorative justice remain only on paper, but make Europe pioneer in bringing life to restorative justice.  

The main objectives of the project are as follows: 

1. investigate the state of the art in restorative justice, mapping the good (or innovative) European practices developed by individual member states, and determining a mode of exchange;
2. raise awareness and promote all the actors involved on the issue of restorative justice;
3. support already active civil society organizations, through knowledge-exchange in order to increase the quality of the services offered, as well as increase the skills of its operators on the subject, in line with the national and European standards.