Why me? Transforming lives through Restorative Justice

13/08/2026

Do you want to see Restorative Justice embedded in a more compassionate justice system? Why me? are striving to increase awareness of and access to Restorative Justice and you can help us do it. By becoming a Restorative Friend, you support us to reach more people affected by crime: https://why-me.org/get-involved-2/support-us/become-a-restorative-friend/

12/08/2026

Clinks and Restorative Justice for All International Institute have authored a new article outlining why Restorative Justice matters and it's potential. In it, they share statistical evidence on the efficacy of restorative work and outline the current legal landscape around it.

The blog shares "what restorative justice is, why it matters, where the law stands, and how we can work together to improve access while recognising that implementation must be safe, properly resourced, victim-led and grounded in the realities of frontline delivery."

Read more:

A joint blog by Clinks and the RJ4All International Institute (RJ4All)IntroductionRestorative justice has the potential to offer a genuine pathway to healing, accountability, and the rebuilding of relationships shattered by violence and injustice. Given its potential, it is worthwhile to consider ho...

11/08/2026

Soon after arriving in office, Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, issued a review of the Sentencing Act 2026. The new Act included the 'progression model' that would see the early release of people in custody to address the prison overcrowding crisis. The review has now concluded and the Government are sharing the changes they are implementing as a result.

We can now share a short guide from the Ministry of Justice on the policy changes and what they mean for victims of crime. This guide intends to support and inform the criminal justice sector to facilitate our engagement with victims of crime. Read more:https://why-me.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Sentencing-Act-Explainer-for-victims-sector-.pdf

10/08/2026

Last week, following the new ministerial appointments by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Why me? contacted the relevant ministers calling on them to support wider access to Restorative Justice. We wrote to the new Ministers for Prisons, Violence Against Women and Girls and Justice to outline our 3 key priorities for change. In this blog we outline what we said to the new ministers and the calls we hope they will lend their support to: https://why-me.org/why-me-shares-3-restorative-justice-priorities-with-new-ministers/

07/08/2026

"Every piece of work I’ve done with Why me? has reinforced the same lesson – that real change happens through relationships. People are more than the worst thing that happened to them, or the worst thing they did."

In this blog, our Volunteer Leah Stanley shares how these principles impacted her decision to set up a charity supporting families impacted by imprisonment. Read more:

This is a guest blog by our Volunteer, Leah Stanley. I have been volunteering with Why me? for a while now and I really believe Restorative Justice matters. Restorative Justice puts people, not just process, at the centre. It gives those affected by harm a chance to be heard, and it gives those who....

06/08/2026

Have you filled in the Government's call for evidence as part of their consultation on prisons? It is crucial that people in prisons have access to accurate information about Restorative Justice, and can access it if it is right for them. We would also urge the Government to embed restorative principles into prisons to ensure that people can get a more positive, rehabilitative experience.

Learn more: https://why-me.org/feed-into-the-governments-independent-review-of-prisons/

05/08/2026

The European Forum for Restorative Justice, following consultation with the international restorative community, have announced the theme for this year's Restorative Justice Week.

The theme is 'Rebuilding communities through Restorative Justice' - one that is particularly pertinent across the globe at the moment. We will be sharing some resources that you can use nearer the time, but for now, you can start to plan your activities and events for the week running between the 15th and 22nd of November.

04/08/2026

Leah Stanley has been a Why me? volunteer for some time, and through this role, has come to see how "real change happens through relationships". This in part led to her setting up 'Through the Sentence', a charity supporting children and families affected by a family member’s imprisonment.

Read this blog to find out about how the charity supports families, and how the lives of people with a family member in prison intersects with the principles of Restorative Justice: https://why-me.org/through-the-sentence-supporting-families-affected-by-imprisonment/

03/08/2026

Earlier this month, the Government announced an independent review into the prison system to address the “ongoing and future challenges that are not widely understood, shaped by pressures across capacity, safety and decency, security and rehabilitation, as well as the age, condition and configuration of the prison estate.”

As part of this review they announced a call for evidence where they aim to gather views on the future of the prison system. In this blog we share the key themes they will be seeking views on and how you can get your voice heard through this consultation: https://why-me.org/feed-into-the-governments-independent-review-of-prisons/

31/07/2026

"One of the principles that draws me to restorative justice is that it asks not only ‘what happened?’ but ‘what needs to happen now?’. In many restorative processes, the person who has been harmed has the opportunity to describe what repair might look like. With historical injustice, that isn’t possible. The people who experienced the harm are no longer here.

Instead, we are left with difficult questions. How do we honour those who came before us? Who carries responsibility? What meaningful repair is possible generations later?"

Learn more about how a restorative approach can be applied to the harms of the past:

This is a guest blog by Claire Standen, founder and CEO of Reclamation, SCIO status pending.   In January 2026, I hit send on an email that I had no idea would change the direction of my life. I wrote to the Church of Scotland asking a simple question: what would restorative justice look like […]