That was the message from a conference held at the Colston Hall today focusing on methods and techniques helping both crime victims and offenders.
Restorative justice brings people harmed by crime or conflict, and those responsible for it, together.
Often used as an alternative to prosecutions that could end up going through the courts, it gives victims the chance to tell offenders the real impact of their crime, get answers to their questions, and an apology.
The method is increasingly being used in the Avon and Somerset police area – employed more than 15,000 times since it was introduced seven years ago.
Speaking at the conference, the new Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: "There is a real sense of momentum for us to take this forward. I want to give victims a voice and put them at the heart of the criminal justice system.
"Restorative justice is a way to make sure that we listen to victims. It's not a quick fix, it's not a gimmick, it's changing the culture.
"I will work to develop access to restorative justice at every stage of the criminal justice process.
"I support any measure that allows the voice of victims to be heard and helps victims to reach closure that cannot be found in sentencing alone.
"From April 2014, I will be responsible for commissioning victim services. There is no doubt that I will be considering how restorative justice can be built into proposals. I look forward to working with partners and communities in reaching the aspiration of making Bristol a Restorative City."
The new elected Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, also praised restorative approaches.
He said: "I absolutely agree that the whole issue is about changing our culture and turning away from the bitterness, the vindictiveness and the 'throw away the key' approach to crime, which actually does no good to people on all sides."
Emma Martinez-Lamkoskicorr, 34, who lives in Eastville, is a former victim of crime who took part in restorative justice.
In 2004, when she was a PC in West Yorkshire, she suffered horrific injuries after a teenage joy-rider deliberately drove at her as she and a colleague tried to arrest him.
The impact knocked her unconscious, fractured her nose, both cheekbones, one of her thumbs and caused long-term damage to her wrists and mouth.
The 14-year-old driver was sent to a young offenders' institution, but an 11-year-old boy who was a passenger in the stolen car was given a community order and had to come face-to-face with Emma again in a restorative justice-style meeting.
"When I went into that meeting I was full of anger, but I also really wanted to help this kid," she told The Post. "When I asked him how he felt about what he had done, he said 'I feel bad about it. I'm really sorry'."
Emma went out of her way to help him and even joined him during his community service on her days off.
"I saw a real change in that little boy," she said. "The only downside was that I didn't think the manual labour he had to do was long enough to have a lasting effect and I was told they couldn't afford to extend it. But the system has moved on a lot since then."
The community safety officer for Safer Bristol added: "Overall, I felt restorative justice was beneficial for both of us. For me, it helped me move on, partially, and it helped me start thinking about the criminal as a victim as well. It made me want to work with young people even more."
Marilyn Harrison, who chairs the Safer Bristol Executive and is the area's assistant chief probation officer, said: "It's about reparation, not retaliation. This has been one of the best conference that I've ever been involved in."
The conference was organised by Voscur and Avon and Somerset Probation Trust, supported by Voice and Influence and Safer Bristol, and had input from numerous voluntary and public sector organisations.
There were also talks from the police, Ray and Vi Donovan, campaigners for restorative justice since the murder of their son Chris in London in 2001; Marian Liebmann, an international RJ trainer and consultant; Jackie Milner, of The Orchard School; and Hen Wilkinson, of Community Resolve.
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