Restorative Justice

Project Overview

Developed and maintained the website for Restorative Justice: Strategies for Change (RJS4C) Ireland, an information and resource platform focused on promoting the development, understanding and use of restorative justice and restorative practices within the Irish criminal justice system.

The website serves as a central knowledge hub for practitioners, policymakers, researchers, community organisations, victims, justice professionals and members of the public interested in restorative justice in Ireland. It brings together research, case studies, service information, policy documents, news, publications and multimedia resources in a structured and accessible format.

Key Features

• Responsive website development providing an accessible experience across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.
• Content management system enabling administrators to publish and update news, articles, research and project information.
• Resource library organising Irish legislation, policies, reports, research summaries, videos, podcasts and other restorative justice resources.
• Case study section presenting real-world examples of restorative justice and restorative practices used within the Irish criminal justice system.
• Service Map documenting organisations involved in restorative justice, restorative practices, training and related criminal justice activities across Ireland.
• Service profiles providing structured information about organisations and programmes, including their restorative justice activities, target groups, geographical coverage and referral pathways.
• News and blog functionality supporting ongoing publication of research findings, project developments and sector updates.
• Searchable and categorised content to make a substantial volume of research and service information easier to navigate.
• Clear information architecture designed to help different audiences quickly find relevant resources and services.
• Ongoing content updates, including annual restorative justice referral and victim-participation data.

Project Objectives

The website was designed to support the wider objectives of RJS4C Ireland by:

1. Increasing public and professional awareness of restorative justice.
2. Improving access to information about restorative justice services and processes.
3. Providing a central repository for research, legislation, policy and practice resources.
4. Showcasing restorative justice case studies and service models.
5. Supporting collaboration between practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders.
6. Making information about restorative justice developments in Ireland easier to access and understand.

The original website launch in January 2021 was supported by funding from the Department of Justice. At launch, the site brought together service mapping, case studies and a blog as part of efforts to improve knowledge and accessibility around restorative justice in Ireland.