A NEW service has been launched in a bid to make restorative justice and mediation more widely-available across Dorset.

Restorative Dorset, funded by the office of Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill, will be implemented by the Safer Poole Partnership.

It will build on work currently taking place in Poole and the west of the county, ensuring it is well managed and developed.

The project will also support police officers, encouraging them to offer restorative practices where appropriate and refer any candidates who express their interest.

This includes both restorative mediation and restorative justice. In both scenarios, all parties must volunteer in order for the process to go ahead. Where an offender is present, it is a precondition that they have formally accepted responsibility for their actions.

Restorative mediation provides a platform for members of conflicted communities to move forward and improve their quality of life. It can be used in situations such as neighbourhood disputes, where all parties will agree and own the outcomes.

Restorative justice offers victims the opportunity to meet with offenders and explain the full extent of the impact of their crimes. The service is already widely available for victims of crimes committed by young people; this project will be the first pan-Dorset service for victims of crimes committed by adults.

Offenders involved in the process have been able to mend some of the damage caused by their original crime. They have also been seen to engage with programmes that address the underlying factors leading to offending behaviour, such as alcohol or drug misuse. This has had a positive impact on their risk of reoffending.

Mr Underhill said: "By bringing together victims and offenders, the service explores a more sustainable solution to crime, empowering victims to share their experiences in a way that helps their own development. It also holds offenders to account, encouraging them both to reflect on their behaviour and look ahead to a life outside of crime.”

Anthi Minhinnick, Community Safety Manager at the Safer Poole Partnership, added: "The project has been in a pilot stage in some areas of Dorset for around a year. We are pleased to be offering the Restorative Dorset service to victims across the area."

As well as interested victims and offenders, effective restorative practice also relies on skilled and experienced volunteers. Those who would like to find out more about volunteering should go to poole.gov.uk/restorativedorset or contact the Restorative Dorset coordinators at restorativedorset@poole.gov.uk.