CRJ Annual Reports

2007-2008
Highlights

The Centre for Restorative Justice (CRJ) is a division of OARS SA and was formed in 1997. It has been guided by an Advisory Committee chaired by the Honorable Ted Mulligan, and also has specialized sub committees covering more specific arenas, such as education.

The 2007/2008 Year has been another exciting year for the Centre with schools cementing their interest in Restorative Justice as a tool within their behaviour development policies and programs.

This year has seen the addition of two opportunities to their ongoing learning opportunities, the first being the Good Practice Forums that are held each term. These forums are an avenue for schools to talk about the restorative journeys their sites have made and they have been welcomed by other educators, with each forum reaching capacity numbers in attendance. We have invited a wide cross section of schools to present at these forums and to date have included metropolitan/ regional, primary/secondary/R-12, DECS/ Private Sector Schools, and whilst many of these have had a significant indigenous enrolment, we look forward to welcoming a totally Indigenous School at our forum in October. All forums are filmed with DVDs now available for purchase.

As reported last year, an Implementation Module has also been developed and runs for two days. This module, aimed at the leadership groups of sites, is also proving successful and is being offered in collaboration with another provider. Whilst DECS schools have accounted for the vast majority of sites undertaking training and implementation, schools within the private sector are beginning their own journeys with training and support from the Centre.

The number of restorative interventions contracted by schools to CRJ increased substantially this year with requests coming from specific sites and District Offices.  They have included conflicts involving children, staff (workplace) and conflicts between staff and parents. This has allowed site staff to be involved and witness processes in action. We have also been thrilled with the increasing involvement of SAPOL Officers in these conferences held within schools and the increasing follow through and support that these Officers have provided following restorative interventions.

CRJ welcomed another staff member this year with Jo Thredgold joining us as Project Officer. Jo has a Masters in Conflict Resolution and is with us two days a week. Following a major highly publicized offence in a large metropolitan High School, CRJ were invited in to work with an entire year level. This was an exciting opportunity, widely welcomed by staff and students and resulted in a report, together with recommendations, being submitted to and accepted by the school leadership.

Restorative Practices International (RPI) was launched in October at their inaugural conference, where CRJ was delighted to both sponsor the event and present several sessions. Our involvement in this organisation is very exciting and presents opportunities for networking and capacity building not previously available. Leigh Garrett has been elected foundation Chair of RPI.

CRJ were also represented through attendance and workshop presentation at several other conferences this year, including the Reintegration Puzzle Conference in June.

Funding has been granted for a project, in which CRJ will work with the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement on some long term work within the APY Lands.  This is an exciting opportunity and we look forward to watching this project evolve and move forward.

Work within the criminal justice arena has continued and we were thrilled to be invited to facilitate the first pre sentence conference for District Court, where the offender was in custody. The report from this restorative conference is currently before the court and the outcome of the court proceedings unknown, but offender and victims alike benefitted greatly from inclusion in the process. Plans are underway for some Restorative Information Sessions aimed at legal practitioners within Legal Services, Department of Public Prosecutions and private  practice, to provide them with a basic understanding of the aims and principles of Restorative Justice.

Income during this financial year has exceeded previous years, due to an increase in bookings and service delivery, and CRJ is thrilled to be maintaining its financial independence to a far greater extent than in previous years.

2006-2007
Highlights

• The completion of the first District Court Case held at Pre-Sentence stage.
• The commencement of Good Practice Forums.
• The formation of an International Association for Restorative Practitioners.
• An increase in training throughout the community.

The 2006/2007 Year has been a particularly exciting year for the Centre with a number of ‘firsts’ for Restorative Justice in South Australia.

The evaluation into the Pilot of Restorative Justice in Schools was finalized. This report is still owned by the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS), but showed RJ provided an increase in feelings of wellbeing, trust and connectedness within schools, as well as a decrease in punitive sanctions such as suspensions.

In the first half of the year, we were thrilled to be able to conduct the first Australian Adult ‘Post Conviction/Pre Sentence’ Restorative Conference at District Court level. This case involved a case of Causing Death by Dangerous Driving and in sentencing Judge Clayton awarded ample regard to the wishes of the family of the deceased victim and the agreed outcomes from the conference.

Following sentencing a second Judge soon referred a case within the same category and a second conference was held. In both cases the defendants received suspended sentences in line with the wishes of those most affected.

Also this year, we have conducted the first Restorative Intervention for SAPOL (SA Police) as a deterrent to prosecution in a case of domestic violence. Whilst this case was not a major case in this area, all parties felt that they were able to move forward in a positive way following the intervention, despite their continued desire to end the relationship.

Training in schools has continued to grow and develop. An increased number of training sessions are already booked for the forthcoming year.

This year has also seen an increase in the number of non-education based personnel seeking training including Lawyers, Victims Advocates and Police Officers, including officers training as Victim Liaison Officers. Training has also been provided for teachers whilst still studying at University prior to them commencing work within schools.

Good Practice Forums have started for educators, with schools presenting their own Restorative journeys. These are to be held each term, with 2 presentations at each forum. They will be available for purchase on DVD thereafter. These forums have proved very successful in allowing access to implementation guidance for schools, with oversubscription to each Forum held to date.

Online forums through CENTRA are continuing and are particularly advantageous for regional school personnel.

A further training module is to be compiled around implementation and this will be a collaborative production between CRJ and a DECS employee who has worked closely with the Centre for many years.

A substantial number of DECS District offices have invited the Centre into schools, to facilitate the resolution of issues that have reached district domain. This has often resulted in the involved schools initiating their own training agenda and further investigation into the restorative area.

The Centre has been heavily involved in the formation of an International Association for Restorative Practitioners (RPI), which will be launched at their Inaugural Conference in October 2007 in Queensland. To date there is no similar International Body and initial membership is being sought from Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Canada

The Centre’s involvement in the OARS SA Reachout program continued, throughout the year until the project concluded in April. Participants continued to feel enthusiastic towards restorative processes, stating they now feel better equipped to deal with conflicts in a positive manner, often quite different to their previous behaviours. They also report a far better understanding of the impact of their past behaviours on victims and people with whom they share their lives.

The Centre looks forward to 2007/2008 with optimism, and looks forward to providing Restorative Services and training to an increasingly high standard in a growing number of arenas.

2005-2006
Highlights

• The completion and evaluation of the first Dept of Education & Children’s Services (DECS) School based RJ Pilot Program.
• The commencement of the Accreditation Process for RJ Nationwide.
• Expansion of RJ throughout our communities.

The last year has been a very exciting year for Restorative Justice (RJ) in South Australia. The foundations established in the preceding year and beyond have set RJ on a very steady pathway.

The latter half of 2005 saw the completion of an RJ Pilot Program in schools, a collaborative program with DECS. The pilot, whilst initially targeted to involve 2 cluster areas, quickly motivated interest from non-participatory schools, and to date over 80 schools throughout SA have received some or all of the specialised training we offer. These schools are in both regional and metropolitan areas.

The evaluation of the initial pilot has been completed and, whilst we await formal publication, it would appear to be positive in the results shown.

To support the schools that are progressing their Restorative journeys, an online forum group is run regularly through the DECS Centra program, allowing access by all employees statewide. This has proven to be an excellent forum for school staff to support and advise each other alongside CRJ staff.

As interest in our training has expanded throughout government departments and communities, development of accredited training was decided upon and this is now well underway. To date Australia has no National Standards of Competency with regard to Restorative Justice and the Centre is in the process of undertaking the necessary development to set and obtain these standards. This has spurred the development of resources and training materials that will become income generational in time. Accreditation will open many possibilities for RJ training throughout the country and particularly within this state.

The Centre has begun processes to obtain the services of a number of trainers to be available on a sub contractual basis following the accreditation. Currently the training of these people in both RJ and Training and Assessment is underway, together with an external training organisation.

The Centre for Restorative Justice will also be working closely with the Department for Correctional Services to assist in the development and implementation of RJ processes in some of its prisons.

The Centre’s involvement in the OARS SA Reachout program has continued, with participants reporting that they feel better equipped to deal with conflicts in a positive manner, often quite different to their previous behaviours. They also report a far better understanding of the impact of their past behaviours on victims and people with whom they share their lives.

The Centre looks forward to 2006/2007 with optimism, highlighting the increasing use of RJ throughout our communities and Government Departments.

2004-2005
Highlights

• CRJ provided training and support for the first RJ Pilot Program operating in the South Australian Adult Magistrates Court
• CRJ proposed, developed and then implemented a DECS schools based RJ Pilot Program running in two geographical areas. This has resulted in the training of over 1,000 teachers and other school staff, and parents, to provide a different approach to behaviour development.
• Expansion of RJ throughout community and government departments.

2004/2005 has been a very progressive year for the Centre for Restorative Justice and those involved in Restorative Justice in South Australia. The foundations have been set, ensuring that Restorative Justice is here to stay.

A pilot program that commenced in the Adelaide Magistrates Courts finished its funded period in June, and whilst referrals were not high, those referred achieved positive results for all involved. Funding has not been secured in this financial year, but the CRJ Advisory Council remains hopeful that future funding can be secured and the pilot extended.

The majority of work this year has come as a result of a collaborative pilot between CRJ and the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS). Initially intended to be run in the Christies Beach area alone, the pilot commenced at the start of the academic year in both Christies Beach and Salisbury areas. This involves both High Schools and their respective cluster feeder Primary Schools. Sixteen schools are directly part of the pilot, and Governing bodies, parents and teachers have been trained in everyday principles of restorative practices. A few staff have taken the training further and to a level where they can effectively facilitate a restorative conference between victims/wrong doers and all affected parties. The first group of Facilitators completed their training in May 2005.

Support is also offered for these schools in whatever way they require, including conference facilitation.

A DECS initiated evaluation within these schools has now started, with the resultant reports expected at the end of 2005. Initial reports emerging from these schools show lower exclusion/suspension rates, decreased time outs within school and an increased feeling of safety and harmony within the school communities.

Whilst only 16 schools are part of the pilot, since the start of the academic year almost 1,000 staff from more than 50 schools statewide have received training, and this has covered South Australia from Ceduna, Mt Gambier, Pt Augusta, Bordertown, as well as the metropolitan area.

Demand continues to grow ahead of the formal evaluation which, if positive, will afford DECS the green light to expand these processes across all State schools. A brief feedback report is available by contacting Debbie on 8210 0803.

With the cessation of training operations by the Australian Institute of Criminology last year, the call for extended training in RJ has increased, with regular training sessions now for university students, professional bodies and independent sessions open to all interested parties.

Leigh Garrett and Debbie Laycock attended an international conference held in Sydney earlier this year where they presented to a wide audience from around the globe. They were the sole presenters advocating Restorative Principles as a Community Building and Strengthening approach and were well received. As a result of this a number of expressions of interest have been received.

The Centre has sub contracted staff to the Reachout Program within Cadell Training Centre for both the peer mediation training and organisation and assistance with the Anger Management modules.

2003-2004
Highlights

• A sub committee for Education was established involving representatives from all areas of education, to encourage implementation of Restorative Processes within schools and other educational establishments.
• Dept of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) initiated a proposal for a pilot Restorative Project within the Christies Beach area. This will commence in the 2005 academic year.
• We are very proud of the impetus generated by the Centre that led to the commencement of the Court’s Pilot on pre sentencing of adult offenders within the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
• Work has begun within Salisbury Council area to establish routes towards them becoming the first Restorative Community.
• Training - the Centre now offers not only the 2 day package on RJ Policy, Practice and Implementation developed in 2003, but also a number of modules aimed at taking participants through varying stages of RJ implementation.

This year has been an extremely exciting year in the area of Restorative Justice, and we have witnessed some huge advancements. The Advisory group, chaired by His Hon Justice Ted Mullighan, has welcomed Peter Severin and Gary Thompson as they have taken up the roles of CEO of Corrections and Courts Administration respectively.

Early in 2004, a sub committee for Education was established involving representatives from all areas of education, with a view to encouraging implementation of Restorative Processes within schools and other educational establishments. With the continued importance of early intervention to prevent crime, establishment of groups contracted to encourage social inclusion, the emergence of Safer Schools Frameworks etc, the timing appeared ripe for this discussion to advance. Terry O’Connell came to Adelaide, at our invitation as part of National Law Week, and whilst here, addressed 240 Primary School Principals. This has generated huge interest from schools throughout the State, and training of staff and work in schools towards a more restorative approach to behavioural issues has been continuing since. Leonie Trimper, President of the SA Primary Principals Association, was instrumental in this initiative. Dept of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) are currently writing a proposal for a pilot Restorative Project within the Christies Beach area, starting with the academic year 2005 and we look forward to working with them further on this.

The long awaited Courts Pilot on pre sentencing of adult offenders within the Adelaide Magistrates started well earlier this year. We were responsible for some training, with more yet to be undertaken. The first conference, a challenging case, led to a sentencing hearing in the first half of August. The report was received favourably by the presiding Magistrate with mention being made of the healing allowed to victims through this process. We are very proud of the impetus generated by the Centre and others that led to the commencement of this pilot and wish the remainder of the project good results.

Preliminary work has begun with the Salisbury community to assist them to resolve conflict in restorative ways across a broad section of community activities. This move is very exciting. Schools in this area have clustered together in their approach to the educational aspects and are now central in further discussions. This will assist effective multi agency collaboration to provide the skills and opportunities for this community to work together towards a more integrated positive future. We look forward to this partnership and the challenges it presents.

Whilst the Australian Institute of Criminology have ceased their training operations, the Centre now offers, not only the 2 day package on RJ Policy, Practice and Implementation developed in 2003, but also offers a number of modules aimed at taking participants through varying stages of RJ implementation. It is hoped to offer accreditation in the future through the Centre.

The excitement of this year has motivated us further, as we see the realization of the first stage of many of our hopes. With Leigh Garrett at the helm, we look forward to an even greater 2005 here in South Australia.

2002-2003
Highlights

• The first South Australian adult criminal Restorative Justice Conference was held in court, and the Centre was also instrumental in the successful conferencing of several non-criminal disputes.
• Extensive interest from a wide variety of groups has enhanced community education of the principles and practical applications of restorative justice.

The Centre for Restorative Justice (CRJ) has continued to go from strength to strength, with the Advisory Committee continuing to meet regularly. Our thanks go again to Justice Ted Mullighan for his continued enthusiasm chairing this Committee, which became even more electric following his involvement in some restorative justice processes whilst visiting New Zealand recently. Thanks to all committee members, who continue to work united in the belief that Restorative Justice can provide a positive process for people entangled in the Judicial System.

Leigh Garrett has continued to steer the ship as CEO of both OARS and CRJ, and Debbie Laycock has continued as Project Officer.

2003 started with the first adult criminal Restorative Justice Conference, held and subsequently reported on, in court in South Australia. Although this identified some educational problems, the report was accepted by the Magistrate and Prosecution. CRJ was also instrumental in the successful conferencing of several non-criminal disputes.

Numerous community talks have been given with the emphasis on education spreading throughout the wider community. Groups inviting CRJ to speak have included Neighbourhood Watch Groups, Rotary Groups, The Lower Murray Justices Group, Legal Representatives and the Victim Support Service (Court companions). Generally these presentations have been met with positive optimism for the advancement of Restorative Principles throughout the Judicial System. We also presented at the first in a series of seminars at Parliament House instigated by the Hon Ian Gilfillan on “Balanced Justice-creating safe communities”. Debbie spoke on policing and its progression for her to Restorative Justice. Leigh then expanded on Restorative Justice. Whilst supporting the work of the Family Group Conferencing Team, the emphasis of this educational discussion has been around adult offenders, and the suitability of Restorative Conferencing for these offenders.

CRJ was also involved in Law Week, with approximately 800 copies of literature handed out and public queries answered at the Sir Samuel Way Building Open Day.

In early May 2003, the Advisory Committee felt that we were at a stage to start work on a pilot project involving pre sentence conferencing for adult offenders appearing within the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court. As a result of the meeting, a draft proposal has been drawn up and accepted by the Advisory Committee. There is still a small amount of outstanding work to completed on the pilot, but it appears hopeful that it will commence in the near future. This pilot will be assessed and, although results regarding recidivism rates will not be available for some time, we hope to have results regarding satisfaction of participants and comparison of court time spent reasonably soon after the pilot completion.

Work has continued on the development of the training package for the Australian Institute of Criminology. The initial delivery of this package was postponed slightly and Melbourne will host the first in a series of 2 two-day courses, in the latter part of 2003.

There has been an increase in membership of the Centre, however further membership is strongly encouraged from all interested parties.

Whilst the work completed this year has been frustrating in part, it is encouraging to know we are almost complete in the laying of the foundations of Restorative Principles. A firm foundation having been laid, we can look forward to sustained and secure progression of these principles throughout South Australia

2001-2002
Highlights

The Centre for Restorative Justice (CRJ) has gone from strength to strength this year. An Advisory Committee comprising a mixture of community representatives and senior Government officials was formed and a project Officer appointed by the Centre. Debbie Laycock-Brown joined the Centre in this role following 21 years of work in the Thames Valley Police Service in the UK. The CRJ Advisory Committee has met regularly during the year. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to provide a forum for discussion about restorative justice and to drive the development of broader restorative practices in South Australia. Our thanks go to all the participants of the Advisory Committee and particularly to Debbie Laycock-Brown and Alison Carroll who have both made significant inputs to ensure the smooth operation of the Committee. Our thanks also to Ted Mullighan for his inspired leadership and personal drive.

The CEO of the Centre, Leigh Garrett, attended a 5-day intensive Restorative Justice Training program in the USA in September 2001. This Training Program was implemented under the auspices of the US Department of Justice and was held in New York State. Leigh returned with new vision and even more drive to continue the development of RJ in this State, and combined with the passion and commitment of the Advisory Committee the future of RJ development is in good hands. Leigh was due to attend an International Conference on RJ in Belgium following the training program, but the unfortunate events of September 11 2001 conspired to make this impossible.

The Centre has recently been asked by the Australian Institute of Criminology to develop and deliver a pilot National Training Program on Restorative Justice. Three two-day programs for up to 20 participants will be delivered in the first part of next year. Market research will determine the venues, but it is likely that Melbourne and Brisbane will be first. This training program, although it is only a pilot, will help consolidate further the place of RJ on the criminal justice horizon and lead to even more focus on its relevance.

One of the major focuses of attention for the near future is the development of restorative conferencing processes for adult offenders. It seems incongruous that conferencing processes are so successful for young offenders, and the victims of those crimes, and yet no such option is available to adults.

The CRJ remains convinced that RJ has a very important role to play in harmonising communities, reducing conflict and reducing crime. Some research is pointing to reductions in recidivism and most research shows greater satisfaction and healing of victims of crime. It is hoped that a study tour to New Zealand next year will be possible.

The development of Restorative practices across the world continues to gain momentum and the CRJ is well placed to assist and guide the development of RJ in South Australia.