Why is restorative justice in the penal system important to you personally?

Poznań 2026

13th International Conference of the European Forum for Restorative Justice Echoes of Restorative Encounters: Voices, Evidence, and the Ripple Effects of Restorative Justice in Action SWPS University in Poznań (Poland), 11-13 June 2026

As part of the upcoming European Forum for Restorative Justice conference in Poznań, our working group "Restorative Justice and Deprivation of Liberty" is currently preparing an exciting workshop. Together with colleagues from various countries, we want to explore why restorative justice is of particular importance in the context of prisons and closed institutions. What experiences, challenges, and opportunities arise from practical work? Our workshop will provide a space for exchange, reflection, and international perspectives on restorative approaches in the penal system.

The question posed above is one of the exciting impulses we, as a working group, want to generate. So, let me answer it for myself first: For me, restorative justice in the penal system is crucial because deprivation of liberty alone rarely leads to genuine understanding, acceptance of responsibility, or healing. I am convinced that people are more than the worst crime they have committed. At the same time, the experiences, consequences, and needs of victims of crime must finally become more visible and audible within the justice system. In restorative justice circle dialogues in prison, I have repeatedly witnessed how encounters can create spaces where responsibility, empathy, and human connection become possible. In these carefully prepared and professionally facilitated circle dialogues, victims of crime, incarcerated individuals, and representatives of society meet beyond labels and role models. Things that often remain unspoken can be articulated there for the first time. The invisible becomes visible.

My work is based on the conviction that rehabilitation and victim-centered work are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary: Sustainable reintegration into society requires confronting the consequences of crime, ideally through hearing, seeing, and experiencing the stories of those affected, as well as exploring responsibility and the impact of violence and crime. Restorative justice can support this process by strengthening dialogue, emotional reflection, and social responsibility.

With my concept "Survivor-Oriented Work in Prisons (BoAS)," I create trauma-sensitive and safe spaces within the prison system where genuine encounters become possible. Such processes require trust, professional preparation, psychological safety, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Especially in prisons, I consider independent external expertise essential to guarantee neutrality, trust, and impartiality.

After many years of supporting restorative justice projects in prisons, I am continually moved by the courage of everyone involved. I witness that even in a system strongly characterized by punishment and exclusion, moments of humanity, dignity, and change are possible.

That is why restorative justice in the penal system is important to me: because I believe that justice should not only punish, but also enable responsibility, healing, reconciliation and social peace.