Restorative Policing White Paper Released (July 2016)
Restorative Justice International
News Release
Date: July 6, 2016 9:00pm Pacific Time
Contact: Lisa Rea, RJI, President
Lisa Rea, Email: lisarea_rji@charter.net
Paul McCold, Moderator & Editor, RJI Restorative Policing Work Group
Email: paulmccold@gmail.com
Restorative Justice International (RJI) today released its Restorative Policing White Paper, a definitive policy paper on the use of restorative justice in policing to better serve communities after crime. RJI’s White Paper on Restorative Policing is the product of an international working group with restorative justice experts and former law enforcement representatives from Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands and the United States.
RJI is an international association and network committed to victims-driven restorative justice with over 5400 members and affiliates globally. The restorative policing work group participated in an intensive examination of restorative justice and its application to policing. The group’s experts reviewed and discussed cutting edge restorative justice practices and processes already at work in countries globally while making recommendations for future best practices. “We are excited about the results of our restorative policing work group. The restorative policing paper will have an important effect on policing nationally and globally providing needed tools for law enforcement and communities,” said Lisa Rea, President, Restorative Justice International. “
Key tenets from the RJI White Paper on Restorative Policing include the following:
Restorative policing is a new paradigm of policing, and not just an interjection of restorative justice processes into current policing practice. Restorative policing is a new way of ‘thinking’, not just another way of ‘doing’, and provides a framework for organizational change. Restorative policing is a relational paradigm where the policing function is understood to be a whole community responsibility. The first priority of policing is responding to the victim, where emotional and psychological needs are paramount. Restorative policing requires that police officers be treated in a restorative manner themselves.
The work group participants included Dr. Paul McCold, research criminologist and RJI Global Steering Committee Member (US), Debra Parr, Restorative Practices Manager, Wakefield Council (UK), Eliza Jones, Mediator, former Police Constable, Tasmania (AUS), Gert Jan Slump, independent criminologist, co-founder, Restorative Justice Nederland (NL), Kerry Clamp, criminologist, University of Leeds, Lecturer, University of Western Sydney (AUS), Matthew Johnson, Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Maryland (US), Nicola Preston, restorative justice senior practitioner, Thames Valley Partnership, Former Police Constable, Thames Valley (UK), Terry O’Connell, director, Real Justice Australia former Senior Sergeant, Wagga Wagga Police Department (AUS). Dr. Paul McCold served as editor of the RJI Restorative Policing White Paper.
For more information on restorative justice and the work of RJI see our website at www.restorativejusticeinternational.com.
# # #
Restorative Justice International (RJI)
RJI White Paper on Restorative Policing 01-JUL-16,pdf