Chris Straker was a headteacher in Hull, UK, where he developed a whole school approach to restorative practice in his school. He also co-founded the Hull Centre for Restorative Practice, in 2007. He works as a consultant and trainer in restorative practice across England and Wales in schools, social care settings and with police and fire services. He is a Director of Restorative Thinking Ltd. and on the Technical Advisory Board of Terre des Hommes – supporting the development of restorative work in Romania, Estonia, Greece and The Netherlands. He has been a speaker at conferences in the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and across Europe. He has just started a PHD exploring the concept of the restorative city.
Restorative practice: what’s in it for me?
Restorative justice practice has failed to penetrate the consciousness of most professionals, practitioners, and the families and communities within which they work. It is on a pivot point between great theoretical support (it wins hearts, yes) but a low uptake in the practical applications that impact upon, and improve the lives of, professionals, practitioners, families, and communities. If you don’t believe me, the next time you flag a cab, ask the driver about restorative justice practice in the area you are working so passionately. If s/he knows about it, even better has an opinion on it, then I take it all back.
The diversity of actors since the early days of restorative justice practice has led to diversity around definition – this has not helped its engagement with those outside the restorative world’s bubble. Restorative ways of working have developed at different speeds, in different ways, across the globe, dependent as much on context as on philosophical underpinnings – as they should.
Restorative proponents often ignore the fact that we need to appreciate the restorative justice practice we develop emerges at a particular time and place for particular reasons. We need to strive for a definition by actions embracing all of the transformative qualities restorative justice practice embodies – diversity, equity, and inclusion grounded in context.
It is also disheartening to see how many proponents of restorative justice practice continue to limit their focus to only the criminal justice aspects of restorative justice, not taking into account the potential of restorative justice practice in challenging the social-structural conditions that constrain our lives. We need a definition that expands beyond the narrow criminal justice definition that dominates much of the present direction of travel. Lenses that narrow definition are not useful. So, what to do?
Firstly, restorative practice should support the communities in which it works to be in charge of their own discourses and decision making by ensuring restorative skills and processes can be applied as they see fit within their socio-economic, cultural contexts.
Secondly, when celebrating restorative justice practice, we need to look around and consider who is missing. If restorative justice practice was reaching the widest possible audience we would see a more diverse movement. It would be interesting to do a world-wide census on the membership of restorative organisations to see if they reflect the socio-economic, cultural, context they sit within locally, nationally and internationally.
Restorative working is often, also, driven by time limited project-led mindsets, feeding on sparse resources, spoon-fed by governmental agencies and their agendas. A restorative justice practice that is driven by such top-down directives, with outcome targets that may not reflect what communities and families want, has no chance of broadening its impact.
And finally, restorative justice practice needs to develop cultures where families and communities, and not only practitioners and professionals, develop a shared commitment to:
- adopting restorative behaviours and language that promotes consistency in the building and maintaining of relationships;
- articulating explicitly how restorative practice informs their personal practice, and their daily lives in building relationships;
- developing the skills, knowledge and understanding so that all parties can challenge and support each other using their explicit practice as a point of reference;
- employing agreed protocols that build and strengthen relationships, and seek to repair harm when relationships break down;
- and, learning the skills, and gaining confidence, to make decisions and think about the consequences and their responsibility for what they do.
If the training being delivered to professionals and practitioners, as well as families and communities, does not do that, we are not going to get the buy-in that will move restorative justice practice from the margins.
In conclusion, I would invite members of the RPI to reflect on their present assumptions on restorative justice practice; consider if the means you are using to achieve your goals are in sympathy with the goals you are working towards; and find the elements needed to build relevance and visibility for families and communities. This has to be a continuous process and will look different in each of your contexts.
The work we do must reach further into the consciousness and skills of the families and communities we serve, so that the taxi driver does know about it; has seen it working in their workplace, or at their kid’s school, or when they come into contact with the many agencies that are provided by governments. And maybe, just maybe, they use it at home to build strong relationships and resolve conflict. If we are brave in facing the challenge, someday restorative ways of working will be the norm.
