Why Restorative Justice? - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

THE OFFENDER
was not ready to stop crime altogether. It was the only way of life
he knew. Many of his friends are deeply into crime themselves.
He has no job, nor skills, nor other support system.
Robert’s story
Robert was 15 when he set fire to his school one night, causing
£26,000 worth of damage and putting the school library out of action
for several weeks. He had told his parents he was staying with a
friend, so he walked through the night and returned home in the
morning. He remained undetected until he walked into the local police
station six days later to ‘get something off his chest’. At first the police
did not believe him, as he had not come to their attention before in
any way.
When asked why he had set fire to the library, he said he had
been worried about his forthcoming exams, and he thought that disrupting
the library (where the exams took place) might buy him more
time to revise. He had given himself up as he began to realise the
harm he had caused and was consumed with guilt and remorse.
He was excluded from school while he waited for the Crown
Court case, where (some months later) he was sentenced to two years
at a Young Offender Institution. There he struggled to survive, being
ridiculed and bullied for giving himself up to the police. Robert’s parents
felt he needed help, not incarceration. Robert himself wanted the
chance to explain to the school why he had acted as he did.
A local youth restorative justice project contacted the head
teacher of the school to see if he was interested in meeting with Robert
and his family. He was keen to do so, as he had many questions to
ask, and wanted to talk to Robert himself. The head teacher also
wanted Robert to know that the school had not wanted him to go to
prison and had written a letter of reference for him at court.
Robert’s parents were also struggling to come to terms with what
had happened. They wondered what the school thought of them as
parents, and wanted the chance to express their support of the school.
After numerous visits and discussions, a Family Group Conference
was convened at the school. Robert was given special leave from
the prison to attend, and his parents and one of Robert’s friends were
there. The school was represented by the head teacher.
The conference lasted over two hours. Robert talked about what
he had done, and his parents listened. Then they too had a chance to
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