Key Personnel
Leigh Garrett, CEO,
OARS SA and Centre for Restorative Justice
Email: lgarrett@oars.org.au;
Leigh Garrett is the CEO of the Centre for Restorative Justice. Leigh has been passionately interested in restorative approaches to justice for over 12 years. This follows 7 years experience in the SA Department for Correctional Services and 15 years as CEO of Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Services of SA Inc.
Leigh has a degree in Education, a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health Management and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He has undertaken restorative justice training in the USA, holding a certificate in “Restorative Justice Principles, Practices and Implementation” from the US Department of Justice.
He has previously been a Ministerial appointee of the SA Correctional Services Advisory Council and is currently:
- Deputy Chair of the SA Ministerial Strategic Housing Advisory Committee
- Board Member of the SA Council of Social Services (SACOSS),
- Board Member of Unity Housing
- Deputy Chair Australian Crime Prevention Council (SA Branch)
- Board Chair Restorative Practices International
In 2002 Leigh's achievements in the Not-For-Profit sector were recognised when he was awarded the National Title ‘CEO of the Year for the NFP Sector’ by Equity Trustees.
Leigh believes that the revolving door of our punitive justice system is ineffective, and does not offer opportunities for healing and reconciliation for victims or offenders. More importantly, it does not reduce crime and never will. There is no evidence anywhere in the world that longer sentences, more punishment and harsher prison regimes reduce crime. Evidence exists to suggest that the opposite actually occurs.
Leigh is also adamant that the increasing rights of victims will demand more services and funding to assist healing after crime. Some of this healing may involve restorative approaches that provide options for victims and offenders to meet in structured and positive ways. This should never be compulsory, but surveys of victims that have been able to engage in restorative practices are positive.
Many victims are happier with the process and the outcome of restorative conferencing than they are of traditional court processes.
Leigh believes that The Centre for Restorative Justice has a great opportunity to assist the already significant development of restorative practices in SA.
Debbie Laycock
Restorative Services Coordinator
Email: dlaycock@oars.org.au, Ph: 8210 0850
Debbie Laycock is the Coordinator of the Centre for Restorative Justice, and has extensive experience in policing, training and facilitating all aspects of restorative justice. She has been at the Centre since February 2002.
Debbie has a degree in education having undertaken these studies while working full time as a Police Youth & Schools Officer. Debbie joined Thames Valley Police in England in 1980, and soon came to realise that traditional punitive approaches to Justice were doing little to reduce offending, rehabilitate offenders or help victims.
She worked enthusiastically amongst communities, noting the disintegration of relationships when wrongdoing occurred, whether it was criminal offending or not. When she was introduced to restorative processes in the early part of the 1990’s she quickly realised that these processes allowed wrongdoings to be addressed, holding wrongdoers accountable whilst repairing relationships that had been damaged.
She left the Police in 2001, returning to Australia where she had been raised, & is unwavering in her pursuit of ways to break the cycle that she feels society has embarked upon in relation to criminal behaviour.
Debbie is a lifetime member of Victim Support Services, & former member of the Executive Committee for The Australian Crime Prevention Council (SA Branch). In 2006 she was involved in the formation & launch of the first International association for Restorative Professionals.
Introducing Restorative Processes to over 150 schools & facilitating the first 2 District Court Post Conviction/Pre Sentence Restorative Conferences in Australia have been the highlights in Debbie’s work since she joined the Centre.