Bishop says prisoners in the UK need methods of ‘restorative justice’

LEICESTER, United Kingdom – A British bishop says the value of “restorative justice” must be recognized in society, “for it can be an effective path to both healing for the victims of crime and rehabilitation for offenders.”

Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Department for Social Justice and Liaison Bishop for Prisons, was writing in the forward of Remember Me: A Catholic Approach to Criminal Justice.

The new document from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales says chronic problems of sentence inflation, prison overcrowding and stubborn reoffending rates are continuing to corrode the British criminal justice system.

“Concern for victims, fear of crime, lack of concern about conditions in prisons and their ineffectiveness as well as unease around rehabilitation continue to shape public discussion and political decision-making,” the document says.

“Rather than succumb to vengeance or concede to the chaos of crime, the Catholic understanding of criminal justice calls us to pursue both justice and mercy through a proportionate balance between just punishment, rehabilitation and redemption,” it continues.

In his introduction, Moth said the document offers “clear calls to action” for the Catholic community, wider civil society and the UK Government and its criminal justice agencies.

“There is a call, too, for the whole community to remember and accept the opportunities to enable those leaving our prisons to be resettled and reintegrated into society in the hope of finding, perhaps for the first time, a healthy sense of belonging, community and self-esteem,” he said.

“In particular, the value of restorative justice must be recognized, for it can be an effective path to both healing for the victims of crime and rehabilitation for offenders,” the bishop added.

Restorative justice is defined as a process that addresses the offense and its implications, aiming to meet the needs of victims, offenders, and the wider community.

“Research shows that restorative justice can reduce re-offending, help victims, and increase public trust in the criminal justice system, though challenges remain in its implementation,” the document says.

“The compatibility of justice and mercy lies at the heart of the understanding of the criminal justice process as a journey of redemption. Care for the victim, dispensation of just punishment, rehabilitation of the offender and restoration of right relationships involve both the external administration of justice and the internal acceptance of the transformative power of mercy to heal the wounds of crime and division. Pope Francis highlights the dangers of viewing punishment vindictively and stresses the need for rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders into society,” Remember Me explains.

The document says the contribution of Catholic social teaching to questions on crime, punishment and rehabilitation “is particularly distinctive in the placing of the primacy of human dignity as the animating principle for the decisions of the legislature, judiciary and the wider community.”

“Moreover, the Catholic social teaching principle of solidarity urges the treatment of criminal justice, from care for victims to support for the reintegration of ex-offenders, as a matter of right relationship for the wider community, rather than simply transactional exercises of crime and punishment. The principle of subsidiarity highlights the value of local responses to such matters, rooted in the knowledge and understanding dispersed across families, charities, and local communities,” the document continues.

It acknowledges faithful Catholics can reasonably disagree on the many prudential matters facing the criminal justice process, from the use of custodial sentences to the practice of restorative justice.

“Nevertheless, any approach to these matters must involve state and civil society working in tandem to seek the common good at every level of society to support victims, rehabilitate offenders and witness to the redemptive power of mercy,” the document says.

“Given the many pressures on our courts, prisons and probation services, there is an open window of opportunity for civil society to better support the state in the practice of criminal justice,” it adds.

In his introduction, Moth said prison conditions in the UK are not currently conducive to rehabilitation.

“Effective rehabilitation is important not just for those serving sentences but also for the benefit of the wider community,” the bishop said.

“The condition of our prison estate continues to demand attention, for it is very difficult to discover dignity and purpose in conditions that are, in some cases, not fit for purpose,” he explained.

According to recent data, the UK had a prison population of approximately 97,700 people, with 87,900 prisoners in England and Wales.

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