The European Forum for Restorative Justice, following consultation with the international restorative community, have announced the theme for this year's RJ Week - 'Rebuilding communities through Restorative Justice' - one that is particularly pertinent across the globe at the moment.

Leah Stanley is a Why me? volunteer, 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 imprisonment. Read more: https://ow.ly/W0JM50ZvKk7

Earlier this month, the Government announced an independent review into the prison system. As part of this review they announced a call for evidence to gather views on the future of the prison system. Read more: https://why-me.org/feed-into-the-governments-independent-review-of-prisons/

"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." Learn more: https://ow.ly/p7I050Zt7nx

How do you view the sacred, spiritual and symbolic elements of Restorative Justice? This questionnaire forms part of a PhD research project examining how practitioners engage with values that may be experienced as sacred by participants or themselves: https://www.jotform.com/form/260691004798059

Have you been affected by crime? Are you interested in Restorative Justice? Why me? have updated our map of Restorative Justice services in England and Wales - you can get the contact details of your local service, reach out and learn more about your options. https://ow.ly/t3EK50Zt6KG

Don't miss your chance to sign up for our free forum on Thursday where we will be exploring what we can learn from the experiences of people who have been through Restorative Justice. Sign up today to learn more: https://ow.ly/L8mp50Zt5mS

Select tickets – Learning from the voices of experience – MS Teams

Learning from the voices of experience – MS Teams, Thu 30 Jul 2026 - What do the people who have been through Restorative Justice want us to know? Why do people share their stories and how can we empower them to do it well? In this Why me? forum we will explore how the testimony of people who have been through Restorative Justice is a crucial part of rai...

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What would RJ look like for the women persecuted during Scotland's witch trials? This is the question that Claire Standen posed to the Church of Scotland. In this guest blog, Claire outlines her campaign to take a restorative approach to the harm caused by the persecution: https://ow.ly/hw7k50Zt54b

Do you know someone who could benefit from learning about RJ? Our Restorative Justice: Unpacked course goes through the basics of what it is, how it works and what it looks like, ingas well as hear directly from a victim of crime who has been through it. Share the course: https://buytickets.at/whyme

Next week, we are hosting a free online forum exploring why people who have experienced Restorative Justice sometimes go on to share their stories publicly. From raising awareness amongst others harmed by crime, to the catharsis some experience from sharing - learn more: https://ow.ly/atv150Zq45q

Our friends at Bedfordshire OPCC are hiring a Restorative Practice Coordinator - a pivotal role at the heart of developing & delivering restorative practice. Apply by 24th July. https://ow.ly/lthj50Zq3W8

Are you interested in becoming a Restorative Justice facilitator? This September, we are running a facilitation training course with Tim Chapman to develop attendees restorative skills, made from a combination of online sessions and in person days: https://ow.ly/fniq50Zq3B2

For the first time in several years, Why me? are hosting our RJ: Unpacked training - anyone with an interest in RJ can buy tickets. The course outlines what RJ is, how it works, and what the benefits are. Don't miss your chance to get your tickets: https://why-me.org/get-involved-2/training/

Sheldon was approached and threatened with a knife by a young person as he walked through a local park. Following the attack he was keen to meet the young person and one of their parents in a restorative meeting. Read more: https://why-me.org/story/sheldons-story/

Sheldon’s Story - Why Me?

Sheldon was approached and threatened with a knife by a young person as he walked through a local park. Following the attack he was keen to meet the young person and one of their parents in a restorative meeting. “It gave us both the opportunity to confront properly what happened. Whilst I am still wary of walking through the park, the conference has given me closure. Restorative Justice has the potential of saving lives.”

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It is one of Why me?'s core principles that the work we do should be grounded in the experiences of people who have been through Restorative Justice. If you share this belief, we have a bank of real-life stories that can help to inform your practice. Listen here: https://why-me.org/damageandrepair/

Damage and Repair: The voices of Restorative Justice - Why Me?

Why me?’s project, Damage and Repair: 20 years of Restorative Justice, collected the stories of some of the people who have been through the Restorative Justice or have been instrumental in the sector over the years 2002-2022. This archive aims to preserve the history of Restorative Justice for decades to come, to give an insight […]

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Do you want to spread the word about Restorative Justice? Have you considered sharing the stories of people who have been through RJ to raise awareness? In our upcoming forum we are discussing how we can learn from Restorative Justice participants & platform their voices: https://ow.ly/vPYX50ZmYkq

In a landmark new collection of interviews, Why me? have captured the stories of 22 people who have been through RJ or played a key role in the sector between 2002 & 2022. Listen here: https://why-me.org/damageandrepair/

Part of the power of RJ is that it gives people affected by crime a voice – but this doesn’t have to stop at the end of the process. Some choose to share their experiences further. In this blog we share our collection of interviews with people who have been through the RJ: https://ow.ly/XTet50ZmUX9

Have you read our briefing that summarises the restorative sector's concerns with the new ReHub policy? It was written following a forum event we held to bring the community together to discuss their challenges, opportunities, concerns & suggestions. Read the briefing here: https://ow.ly/SvPc50ZkHGB

"What has become clearer in recent years is the role of emotion in shaping conflict. Fear, anger, and perceived threat are not side effects of polarisation. They are central to it." Learn more about how we can use restorative practice to move towards reconciliation: https://ow.ly/q4fB50ZkHho

From activism to reconciliation: Why this work, why now? - Why Me?

This is a guest blog by Caroline Walsh, an experienced Restorative Justice Facilitator.    We are living through a period of intensified division. Public debate is harder, trust in institutions is fragile, and disagreement increasingly feels personal rather than political. What might once have been differences of opinion now often land as questions of identity, […]

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Last Thursday, Why me? attended a stakeholder engagement session run by the ReHub team, to feed back on their proposed policy changes. They confirmed that they had received and read the letter we sent to them last week. We will keep you updated as we hear more. Learn more: https://ow.ly/q5Uk50ZkGLB

The sector responds to new ReHub policy in letter to Lord Timpson - Why Me?

On Wednesday this week (1st July), Why me? submitted a letter to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons and Probation, outlining the sector’s concerns with ReHub’s new policy. Signed by over 45 other organisations and practitioners, the letter was based on a consultation process where Why me? gathered the views of the restorative sector. ReHub’s new […]

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Thanks to the generous support of our community, we raised 110% of our target across our Small Charity Week campaign! These donations make a real difference to us. A big thank you to everyone who supported our campaign, we couldn't have done it without you.

Can I communicate with the person who harmed me without meeting them? Yes Restorative Justice can be flexible. If an in person meeting isn't appropriate, communication can happen via letters, video shuttle or proxy participants. https://why-me.org/what-is-restorative-justice/faqs/

Restorative Justice FAQ - Why Me?

Restorative Justice FAQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jf6POkJxAE Why would I want to have contact with the person who harmed me? The majority of victims of crime who go through Restorative Justice find the process beneficial. Many people want to ask questions about the crime. Many want to tell the person responsible what the consequences of their actions were. […]

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Last week, we submitted a letter to Lord Timpson outlining the sector's concerns with ReHub's new policy, signed by 45 other organisations & practitioners. If you want to add your name, let us know. https://why-me.org/the-sector-responds-to-new-rehub-policy-in-letter-to-lord-timpson/

The sector responds to new ReHub policy in letter to Lord Timpson - Why Me?

On Wednesday this week (1st July), Why me? submitted a letter to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons and Probation, outlining the sector’s concerns with ReHub’s new policy. Signed by over 45 other organisations and practitioners, the letter was based on a consultation process where Why me? gathered the views of the restorative sector. ReHub’s new […]

why-me.org

Have you been affected by crime? You may want to ask questions, explain the impact of the crime on your life, or ensure that the person responsible does not offend again. Restorative Justice is flexible to your needs. It can take many forms, such as face to face, online, or through letters.

Why me?'s mission is to to promote awareness & increase understanding of Restorative Justice, to advocate and enable its wider use and to serve as a community hub for everyone working, or with an interest in Restorative Justice. Learn more: https://ow.ly/UIJm50ZiKIV

Many people know that Restorative Justice is a dialogue between someone who caused harm and the person they harmed. But do you know how it works in practice? Restorative Justice often requires a long preparation process to ensure that everyone is safe and only after a thorough risk assessment.

Many survivors tell us that the trauma they face as a result of the crime is compounded by the trauma caused by the justice process. In the absence of significant justice reform, survivors need a way to take back control of their healing. RJ allows them to do this: https://ow.ly/5ki150ZiKAX

A safe way to deliver Restorative Justice for domestic and sexual violence - Why Me?

This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.   When the Labour Government came into power in 2024, they pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. This ambitious but necessary commitment is going to be a challenge for them to achieve if serious changes aren’t made. The […]

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You can support Why me? at no cost to you by entering us into the Benefact Group prize draw to win £5000! It only takes two minutes and could make a huge difference to our small charity. Nominate us: https://movementforgood.com/draws/special/community#nominateACharity

We could receive a £5,000 donation with your help through the Movement for Good Draw.

We could receive a £5,000 donation with your help through the Movement for Good Draw.

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We have written a joint response to ReHub about their new policy that implements a 'presumption of unsuitability' for certain categories of crime, reflecting the views of the sector. If you are interested in signing, get in touch with us at info@why-me.org. The deadline to sign is tomorrow 9am.