Justice ministry provides financial backing to 27 restorative justice providers

The Ministry of Justice has provided financial backing to 27 organisations to deliver restorative justice to 57 courts nationwide, Justice Minister Andrew Little revealed.

Responding to a series of written parliamentary questions from National MP David Bennett, Little said that these groups met the criteria set by the ministry to gain accreditation as restorative justice providers.

The Ministry of Justice requires that the providers must be able to:

• ensure their facilitators have completed, or are working towards, restorative justice accreditation through the Resolution Institute
• comply with the Ministry of Justice Practice Framework, Restorative Justice Practice Standards for Family Violence, and the Restorative Justice Standards for Sexual Offending Cases, if applicable
• meet and maintain an appropriate level of Social Sector Accreditation
• be culturally responsive to the needs of their communities
• maintain professional relationships with the courts they service and other key stakeholders in their communities

Little also said that the ministry did not set any criteria for organizations who want to advertise as restorative justice providers, but for them to be accredited as providers for the Ministry of Justice, they must have been “selected and contracted by the ministry through a procurement process to deliver restorative justice services.”