Evaluation of the 'Porirua model' for use of restorative justice in family violence cases.
The research project aims to evaluate the 'Porirua model', a new approach based on a collaborative relationship between family violence and restorative justice providers in family violence situations. By involving family violence specialists in restorative conferences, where appropriate, the model intends to create an integrated, high quality approach based on the best knowledge available. Flexibility of timing allows restorative processes to be held whenever most appropriate, ideally after therapeutic interventions such as stopping-violence programmes. Another key feature of the pilot is enhanced information sharing between restorative justice providers, police, and family violence agencies to ensure coordinated responses and building trust and confidence between stakeholders.
The goal of the pilot is to undertake 20 case referrals from the Porirua District Court. The evaluation seeks to assess the experiences of the principal participants in this collaborative model. It will analyse the extent to which this new model has achieved its goals and what difference they have made.
