Restorative justice can play an important role in helping people understand harm after it has been caused.
At its core, it creates a structured and supported space for honesty, accountability and understanding. It gives people the opportunity to ask difficult questions, reflect on what has happened and consider the impact of their actions on others.
It is not about excusing wrongdoing or diminishing the seriousness of an offence. It is about recognising that accountability can be more meaningful when people are able to understand the harm caused and the effect it has on those around them.
A recent case handled by Restorative Cleveland illustrates how that process can work in practice.
Following the disorder in Middlesbrough in August 2024, Stacey Vint was sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder. She has since spoken openly about the addiction and instability that shaped her life before that point.
“I didn’t actually care about anything or about what happened to me. I’d lost custody of my kids, and I was just getting wrecked, taking drugs and drinking all the time,” she said.
Through Safer Communities, Stacey later took part in a restorative justice process delivered by Restorative Cleveland.
That process brought her face-to-face with her former primary school teacher, Satti Collins, who had recognised her in widely shared footage from the day.
Before the meeting took place, both were supported individually through a period of preparation. When they agreed to meet, it was for the first time in more than 25 years.
The conversation was structured and facilitated, with a focus on understanding what had happened and the impact it had had.
“I just wanted to know why she did that,” said Satti. “I wanted to find her, but I didn’t know how.”
For Stacey, the meeting was an opportunity to reflect on her actions and hear directly about their impact.
“I started to understand the impact of my actions,” she said. “People were frightened in their homes. Cars smashed up. Windows boarded. I had never thought about how my actions affected anyone else.”
As Paul Shaw explains, this is a central part of the restorative process.
“Restorative justice gives people the chance to be heard, to ask difficult questions and to understand the real impact of what has happened,” he said.
“It is not about excusing wrongdoing. It is about accountability, and helping people understand the harm caused.”
Restorative justice is not a single moment. It is a process that requires preparation, willingness to engage and support for everyone involved.
“I am not racist, far from it. But I was still part of something I should not have been,” Stacey said. “I want to make things right.”
In this case, the conversation created space to reflect on difficult events and to better understand the impact they had on others.
