Damage and Repair: The voices of Restorative Justice
Why me?’s project, Damage and Repair: 20 years of Restorative Justice, collected the stories of some of the people who have been through the Restorative Justice or have been instrumental in the sector over the years 2002-2022. This archive aims to preserve the history of Restorative Justice for decades to come, to give an insight into the formative years of the development of Restorative Justice in the UK.
Please note, some of the stories in this collection contain graphic details of crime and harm, so listen with care. If you have been affected by one of the stories in the collection or by what you hear, you can contact Why me? at info@why-me.org or reach out to Samaritans for support.
The full collection of interviews is archived at the British Library and you can listen below.
As part of this project, we launched Series 3 of our Restorative Talks podcast. Each episode shares the story of one of the interviews we collected, exploring the harm that took place, what the restorative process looked like and how it impacted the life of the interviewee.
In Episode 1, we speak to Why me? Ambassador Nick Dawson. Nick’s identical twin brother Simon was murdered shortly after their 30th birthday. Nick later went on to meet face to face with one of the men who killed his brother, in a meeting he describes as “life changing”. In Episode 2, we meet Rob Hall, who met with one of the young people who had attacked his son. Rob’s teenage son was beaten and robbed by a group of young people one evening and the ripple effects of the incident affected many family and friends. Rob eventually met one of the young people in a transformative restorative meeting, leading to years of work as an Ambassador for Why me?. Finally, in Episode 3 we talk to our Patron, Jo Berry CBE. In 1984, Jo’s father, Sir Anthony Berry MP, was killed in the IRA bombing of the Brighton hotel. Jo later met with the man responsible for planting the bomb. Out of this journey, Jo become an international speaker, peacebuilder, and founder of the charity Building Bridges for Peace.
The full set of interviews recorded for ‘Damage and Repair: 20 years of Restorative Justice’ are archived in perpetuity at the British Library. The interviews will be preserved and made available for the long term as part of the national collection of oral histories. The interviews are catalogued in the Sound and Moving Image catalogue and can be found by searching ‘C2111’ at https://sami.bl.uk. If you would like to make an appointment to listen to any of the collection in the British Library reading rooms in St Pancras, London then you can do so by contacting the Listening and Viewing service.
Listen to the collection
Please do not reproduce any of the content in this collection without the express permission of Why me? – if you are interested, please get in contact with us at info@why-me.org.
Ray and Vi Donovan share their story of meeting face to face with one of the people who killed their son. Photo credit – The Chris Donovan Trust. Why me? · Ray and Vi Donovan – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Joan’s son James was killed by a single punch, thrown by a young man on a night out. Joan was left with unanswered questions about the night it happened, and later met face-to-face with Jacob, the person who killed her son. She now campaigns for wider access to Restorative Justice and awareness of one punch deaths, alongside Jacob. Why me? · Joan Scourfield – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
David was at a pub with his son James when someone delivered a single punch to James, that proved fatal. After several years and a process of letter-writing, David and James’ mother Joan met with the young man who had killed their son. Why me? · David Hodgkinson – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Wendy was sexually abused by her father when she was 14 years old. He plead guilty and received a £20 fine and a one-year conditional discharge. Over 40 years later, Wendy met her father in a restorative meeting. Why me? · Wendy Eichel – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
In 1984, Jo’s Father, Sir Anthony Berry MP, was killed in the IRA bombing of the Brighton hotel. Out of this loss, Jo embarked on an extraordinary journey of reconciliation that led her to meet the man responsible for planting the bomb. Why me? · Jo Berry – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Paul took part in Restorative Justice after being brutally attacked in his home. Now an MP, he advocates for wider access to Restorative Justice in Parliament. Why me? · Paul Kohler MP – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Chelsea was abused as a child by someone close to the family. After many years, she met with her abuser to show her strength, confidence and that she was no longer afraid of him. Why me? · Chelsea Jones – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
After trying to help a woman, Wayne was attacked leaving him with life changing injuries. He later met with the person who had attacked him to encourage him to change his behaviour. Why me? · Wayne Mcnamara – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Angela’s son Wayne was trying to help a woman when he was attacked, leaving him with life-changing injuries. Angela joined Wayne in a restorative meeting, to share the impact of the incident directly with the person who did it. Why me? · Angela Panting – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Peter believes he committed 20,000 crimes over the course of his life. After going to prison for attacking a man called Will in his home, Peter met him in a face to face meeting, which forced him to take accountability and see the real-life consequences of his actions. Following the meeting, he turned his life around and helped Will to set up the charity Why me?. Why me? · Peter Woolf – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Janika survived attempted murder after her ex-partner attacked her with a knife whilst she was pregnant. She later met him in a face to face meeting to explain the impact of his attack and to take her power back. Why me? · Janika Cartwright – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Rob’s teenage son was attacked and robbed by a group of young people and the ripple effects of the incident affected many family and friends. Rob eventually met one of the young people in a transformative restorative meeting. Why me? · Rob Hall – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Khamran served a custodial sentence in 2012 after committing an unprovoked violent crime. He later met the man he had attacked in a face-to-face meeting. Why me? · Khamran Uddin – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Nick’s identical twin brother, Simon, was subjected to a horrific attack by two teenagers after asking them for directions. They stole his bank card and beat him repeatedly for his pin number. They then threw him into a pond, unconscious, where he drowned. Nick later met face to face with one of the men who killed his brother. Why me? · Nick Dawson – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Teresa shares her experience of the restorative process, after being abused by her father as a child. She wanted to meet her mother in a restorative meeting, but it was not safe to go ahead. This decision in itself and support from the facilitators brought healing to Teresa. Why me? · Teresa Parker – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Elliot explains his role as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Restorative Justice, and how his role as a politician intersected with campaigning for wider access to Restorative Justice. Why me? · Elliot Colburn – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Sir Charles Pollard was instrumental in implementing Restorative Justice in the UK. As Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, he championed restorative practices and began the journey to embedding it in the UK’s justice system. Why me? · Sir Charles Pollard – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Tony shares his years of experience in Restorative Justice, From Thames Valley Police to Restorative Solutions, a major service provider in the UK. He shares stories from his time as a facilitator, managing serious and complex cases and supporting people affected by crime. Why me? · Tony Walker – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Lucy explores her career in the restorative sector, as a facilitator and Director of Why me?, and her first hand experience seeing the power of Restorative Justice. Why me? · Lucy Jaffé – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Becky’s son was left seriously injured after he was hit by a dangerous driver, and she later met the driver in a Restorative Justice meeting. Why me? · Becky Stevens – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Professor Joanna Shapland shares insights from her time as an academic studying Restorative Justice, including the formative control trials she conducted in the early 2000s. Why me? · Joanna Shapland – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
Amanda reflects on her time as an experienced Restorative Justice facilitator, helping people affected by crime to find a way forwards. Why me? · Amanda Hamblin – Full interview Listen to a short snippet
This project is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We would also like to thank North Wales Police for their support.