Action for Race Equality is delighted to be supporting Why Me? in their brand new Youth Justice Project. Why Me? aims to increase access to Restorative Justice for people affected by crime and conflict in England and Wales. But what is it all about and what is RJ? Keep reading to find out more!
Restorative Justice (or RJ) is a transformative tool that facilitates communication between people affected by crime and conflict and brings them together to repair the harm caused and find a way to move forward.
It is often used as a tool to resolve conflicts away from punitive or harsh treatments that the criminal justice system may serve, and a healthy way to encouraging healing between individuals and communities.
However, anecdotal evidence has shown that young people from Black, Asian, or other ethnic minoritised backgrounds are under-represented in the uptake of RJ, despite being over-represented in the criminal justice system.
Why me? are running a project which aims to improve RJ for young people by better understanding their needs and the barriers they might face when accessing RJ services.
Young people, we want to hear from you!
Why Me? and Action for Race Equality want to speak to young people (age 13-25) who are from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds for this project.
We want to hear your thoughts on Restorative Justice; the reasons you would or wouldn’t want to get involved with it, and what actions we can take to improve how services in your area can meet your needs.
Your voices and opinions are very important and will play a huge role in the outcomes of this work.
You don’t need to know anything about Restorative Justice before we meet, and there is no right or wrong answer – we just want to hear your thoughts!
What’s in it for you?
By taking part in this work, Why me? is offering a 1.5-hour Restorative Justice Unpacked training session where you will get the chance to learn more about Restorative Justice, see how it might work in practice, and hear from people who have first-hand experience in the process.
There may even be pizza on offer!
Find out more by contacting Sula Blankenberg, Restorative Justice Development Officer at Why me?