2023 Down South Restorative Justice Conference
Making the political case for restorative and transformative practices - lessons learned from the United Kingdom
Throughout this session, delegates will have the opportunity to explore what legislators need to know about restorative and transformative practices and learn how the Restorative Justice Council, the UK’s national body for restorative justice, have developed an effective Policy Engagement arm to their organisation.
During this interactive session, Jim Simon, Chief Executive of the Restorative Justice Council and Chair of the advisory board for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for restorative justice, will share how his organisation has engaged with cross-party legislators to raise political awareness of restorative justice.
Delegates will be guided through the processes used by the Restorative Justice Council to establish critical political connections and allies and how these connections led to the development of cross-party political group who work closely with the UK restorative sector to influence national policy for criminal justice, education, health and social care.
Jim will share some of the challenges faced in balancing the informational needs of legislators with maintaining the core routes of restorative practice; recognising when legislation can potentially impact negatively on the core values of restorative justice. He will share how his organisation has worked with third-sector restorative organisations and those with lived experience of restorative justice to raise the profile of the benefits of restorative practices. He will also discuss how data and academic research have been utilised to inform the development of political briefings and formulate legislative policy recommendations.
Throughout, delegates will have the opportunity to explore how the UK model of political engagement can be applied at both State and Federal level across the USA.
During this interactive session, Jim Simon, Chief Executive of the Restorative Justice Council and Chair of the advisory board for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for restorative justice, will share how his organisation has engaged with cross-party legislators to raise political awareness of restorative justice.
Delegates will be guided through the processes used by the Restorative Justice Council to establish critical political connections and allies and how these connections led to the development of cross-party political group who work closely with the UK restorative sector to influence national policy for criminal justice, education, health and social care.
Jim will share some of the challenges faced in balancing the informational needs of legislators with maintaining the core routes of restorative practice; recognising when legislation can potentially impact negatively on the core values of restorative justice. He will share how his organisation has worked with third-sector restorative organisations and those with lived experience of restorative justice to raise the profile of the benefits of restorative practices. He will also discuss how data and academic research have been utilised to inform the development of political briefings and formulate legislative policy recommendations.
Throughout, delegates will have the opportunity to explore how the UK model of political engagement can be applied at both State and Federal level across the USA.
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Jim Simon
Chief Executive Officer Restorative Justice Council Jim Simon joined the Restorative Justice Council (UK) as Chief Executive in April 2019 following 21 years’ service within education. He is an experienced head teacher, practitioner and trainer within restorative practices and has led the strategic development and implementation of restorative approaches within educational, youth and criminal justice settings. For the past three years, Jim has chaired the Advisory Board of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Restorative Justice. Established in April 2021 to drive forward cross-party conversations on restorative justice and raise awareness about its principles, the group’s primary aims are to:
In collaboration with Howard University Washington, Jim was instrumental in establishing the Global Alliance for Restorative and Social Justice. This alliance provides him with opportunities to collaborate with a global network of likeminded individuals who are exploring the role of restorative practice in creating a more just society. Jim is passionate about developing restorative practice in new and emerging sectors. He is currently collaborating with colleagues to implement restorative practice within forensic mental health settings and the social care sector. Jim is also interested in the wider potential for restorative practice to manage workplace conflict and as a tool to address online harms. He is currently working in partnership with Restorativ, a tech-based company, to pilot a scalable technology solution that brings restorative justice into the 21st century. About the Restorative Justice Council The Restorative Justice Council (RJC) was established in 1998 with the primary purpose of promoting restorative justice for the public benefit as a means of resolving conflict across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We do this by:
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