Restorative encounters between victims and perpetrators of serious crimes within prison settings

Annotation:
Restorative programmes offer an alternative to traditional interventions, focusing on working with offenders and victims to address the consequences of crime. Promoting the expansion of the concept of restorative justice is also part of the Government of the Czech Republic's programme declaration. In addition to the activities of the Probation and Mediation Service, the development of restorative practice in the Czech Republic has recently been significantly supported through the Restorative Justice Strategy for the Czech Republic. One of the Strategy's objectives is the development of restorative programmes, specifically mediation for serious crimes in prisons.

In this context, the Institute for Restorative Justice has initiated a pilot programme involving restorative meetings between victims and offenders in cases of serious crime, taking place in three selected prisons. The programme will enable victims and offenders to address the consequences of the crime and its impact on their lives and social environments, while also testing the feasibility of implementing such meetings in Czech prisons. This research project will evaluate the aforementioned pilot programme and the current practice of victim-offender mediation in Czech prisons, thereby contributing to its future development.

Responsible researcher: Mgr. Michal Špejra, LL.M.
Research team:
JUDr. Simona Diblíková
PhDr. Jan Tomášek, Ph.D.
Mgr. Petra Zhřívalová, Ph.D.
Duration: 2024-2025