In early 2022, I was surprised and honoured to be selected as a research assistant on a project with the University of Gloucestershire. The project was to examine diversity in the restorative justice sector and was led by Dr. Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal and Dr. Jonathan Hobson.

It has been a long road to publication but we are all delighted that the article has now been published online ahead of print in the International Journal of Restorative Justice.

This is the article abstract:

Restorative justice is increasingly integrated into government policy and services, extending beyond criminal justice to other sectors. However, as this process of institutionalisation gathers pace there is a danger that practices can become removed from their community roots and consequently becoming less representative of the diverse populations that they are meant to serve, particularly in post-colonial societies. This paper is based on research that used a participatory action framework to engage restorative practitioners from racially, ethnically and culturally minoritised backgrounds in England and Wales. The aim of the research was to centre the voices of practitioners in both identifying challenges and providing potential solutions for a more inclusive and representative sector. Practitioners identified the need for raising awareness, making the sector more accessible, the importance of language used and the cultural capital available to individuals, and the ways in which these issues often reflect the dynamics of established power relations. Practitioners also reflected on the need for better representation and training of leadership in the sector. It is clear from this research that resources need to be directed towards addressing these challenges whilst keeping in mind the specific needs of minoritised groups.

You can read the full article here.

I am deeply grateful to my co-researchers on the project but most of all to the participants - I learnt so much from all of you.