The 3rd Annual Restorative Justice Council Conference

 Registration is closed for this event
REGISTRATION OPENS 9AM ON 2ND AUGUST 2021 Join us for the RJC's 3rd Annual Conference Restorative netWorks – bridging divides & strengthening communities.

REGISTRATION CLOSES 16 NOVEMBER AT 5PM

The imposed restrictions on our day-to-day lives over the past 16 months have, through necessity, impacted on all aspects of our lives. Many of us will have embraced opportunities for cultures to converge as the world has become more digitally connected however, political and social polarisation continue to leave communities divided and disconnected. Restorative justice practices can serve as an important bridge within societies, connecting individuals and communities with differing perspectives.

In a world of growing division, creating a culture which proactively prevents harm and creates more resilient communities is even more critical. That is why during this year’s conference we want to explore the potential for restorative justice and practices as a bridge builder when responding to complex challenges and overcoming inequalities and vulnerabilities in our communities. We are particularly interested in learning from academics, organisations and practitioners about where restorative justice is breaking new ground. Finally, we want to understand how restorative justice is being effectively implemented across our communities including education, health, workplace and secure settings. Thus, the theme of the 3rd annual RJC conference is Restorative netWorks – bridging divides & strengthening communities.

This year, our conference sessions will focus on one of four areas:

  • Overcoming inequality & adversity through restorative justice
  • Restorative justice – evidence of effectiveness
  • Restorative Justice – breaking new ground
  • Restorative practice in communities

We already have an extremely exciting list of confirmed keynote speakers that are sure to stimulate debate and discussion in our effort to provide insight into how we might bridge the divides and strengthen communities. 

Dame Vera Baird DBE QC 
Victims’ Commissioner (VC) for England and Wales
 
Appointed on 24 June 2019, Dame Vera is responsible for championing the interests of crime victims and witnesses and reviewing the operation of the Victims Code of Practice (the Code).

As Commissioner, she regularly meets heads of Criminal Justice agencies, Ministers, Chief Constables, Police and Crime Commissioners, victim organisations, Parliamentarians and voluntary groups. She will undertake reviews into victim services and report on how agencies are complying with the Code.  

Dame Vera is the former Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria (2012-19).

She previously spent much of her working life as a criminal barrister. She was called to the Bar in 1975 and took silk in 2000. She served as Labour MP for Redcar from 2001 to 2010. She was a Government Minister from 2006 to 2010 and Solicitor General from 2007 to 2010 - the House of Common's most senior law officer. As Solicitor General she was closely involved in criminal justice policy and legislation and is particularly proud of her role in taking the Equalities Act 2010 through its House of Commons stages

In 2017 she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to women and equality.


 

Elliot Colburn 
Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom
 
Elliot Colburn MP was elected in 2019 to represent his home town of Carshalton and Wallington in South West London. Elliot is a member of the Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee, as well as several All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). Elliot established the Restorative Justice APPG after meeting with local charity The Chris Donovan Trust and hearing Ray and Vi Donovan’s heart-breaking story of losing their son and their experience of accessing restorative justice.

 

Crispin Blunt 
Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom
 
Crispin was elected as the Member of Parliament for Reigate in 1997 and has a diverse Parliamentary career including serving as Minister responsible for Prisons, Probation and Youth Justice from May 2010 until September 2012. Since then, Crispin has continued to advocate for a better understanding of criminal justice.

Policies that were of particular personal interest included the introduction of payment by results, restorative justice and work in prisons. Crispin also has a long-standing interest in foreign affairs and was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee from June 2015 to May 2017 and is currently Vice Chair of the Conservative Middle East Council.

From his experience as Prisons Minister and as Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Crispin has seen first-hand the failure of the half-century “War on Drugs” both at home and abroad.  He has become co-chair of the APPG on Drug Policy Reform where he advocates for a reassessment of the costs and benefits of the current prohibitionist approach. He is also chair of the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group.

Crispin’s personal life story has taught him a deep personal understanding of the difficult challenges LGBT+ people face both at home and abroad, and is secretary of the APPG on Global LGBT Rights. Especially as Britain has a particular responsibility for many Commonwealth countries laws as they have been inherited from Britain’s colonial past. Crispin is also co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.


 

Jon Stratford
Deputy Chief Constable
 
Jon began his policing career in South Bristol in 1992 with the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. He served in a variety of roles in both rural and urban environments culminating in the Policing Commander for Bristol.  After serving for two years as an ACC with South Wales Police he returned to the West Country in 2016, leading regional Specialist Operations and Major Crime Investigation collaborations before being appointed Deputy Chief Constable for Gloucestershire in May 2017.

Whilst the policing lead for Bristol, Jon introduced joint working arrangements with colleagues in the probation and prison services, local authorities and third sector that delivered significant crime reductions through the intensive management of prolific offenders.  Concurrently he introduced restorative justice to Avon and Somerset.  He remains firm in the belief that the Police Services’ role in offender management should extend beyond the conviction of offenders.

As the NPCC lead for Integrated Offender Management (IOM), Electronic Monitoring (EM) and Restorative Justice he is now leading the police-side implementation of the national refresh of IOM working and the Ministry of Justice’s EM Portfolio. 

Jon is a family man with interests that include surfing, cycling and rugby; essentially anything else that gets him outdoors with his three sons. He is the chair of governors of his local primary school.


 

Larell Smith-Bacon 
Restorative Baltimore
 
Larell Smith-Bacon is a community conferencing, dialogue circle, and victim and offender dialogue facilitator, trainer and Executive Director of Restorative Response Baltimore - a conflict resolution and community building organization in Baltimore, Maryland. Smith-Bacon began her career in justice work as a student at Morgan State University. She served as an intern at the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program of Baltimore City and then extended her services to the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. Larell joined Restorative Restorative Response Baltimore  (then community conferencing center)  in 2010 as a case coordinator and community conferencing facilitator. After 10 years of service in the conferencing role, Larell was appointed as Acting Executive Director June 2019 and became the permanent Executive Director in February 2020. 

 

Dr Terence Bevington
Restorative Lab / Conexus Conflict Consultancy
 
Dr Terence Bevington is a spirited and committed educator who relishes the role of learner as much as teacher. In his 25 years working in a variety of roles within education and as Director of Conexus Conflict Consultancy and the Restorative Lab, he has built a strong reputation as an enabler and challenger. The focuses of Terence’s work are restorative practice, peace practice and evaluation. He has published and presented internationally on all three subjects. In his research and his practice Terence seeks to inspire thoughtful action.

 

Professor Theo Gavrielides, PhD
Director of the Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute
 
Professor Theo Gavrielides, PhD, is a legal philosopher and a world-known restorative justice expert.

He is the Founder and Director of the Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All) International Institute, which aims to advance community cohesion and redistribute power through education and the values of restorative justice. He is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of RJ4All Publications, which is the publishing arm of the RJ4All International Institute.

In 2021, Professor Gavrielides received The Liberty of the Old Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey award as part of the Southwark Civic Awards 2020 for his contribution to the community during difficult times.


Programme Overview

Monday 22nd November
09:00 - 09:30 Welcome, opening message from Jim Simon (CEO)
09:30 - 11:00 Parallel session 1 
11:00 - 11:15 Screen Break
11:15 - 12:15 Keynote Presentation | Dr Terence Bevington
12:15 - 13:15 Lunch 
13:15 - 14:30 Keynote Presentation | Dr Theo Gavrielides
14:30 - 14:45 Screen Break
14:45 - 15:45 Criminal Justice Panel - Panel introductions
15:45 - 16:00 Screen Break
16:00 - 17:00 Criminal Justice Panel - Questions and Answers
17:00 - 17:15 Confernece close - Dr Gerard Drennan 
17:15 - 18:30 Networking Rooms Open (Via Zoom)
Tuesday 23rd November
09:00 - 10:00 Keynote Presentation | Elliott Coburn MP & Jim Simon
10:00 - 10:15 Screen Break
10:15 - 11:30 Parallel Session 2
11:30 - 11:45 Screen Break
11:45 - 12:45 Parallel Session 3
12:45 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 15:00 Parallel Session 4
15:00 - 15:15 Screen Break
15:15 - 16:15 Keynote Presentation | Larell Smith Bacon
16:15 - 16:30 Presentation of the RJC Significant Contribution Award 2021
16:30 - 16:45 Conference Close - Dr Gerard Drennan
16:45 - 18:00 Networking Rooms Open (Via Zoom)

Download the full conference programme here


Conference Fees

Please ensure if selecting a members rate that you a hold a valid RJC membership. If you are unsure of your membership status, please login into your RJC account using the link below to check. 

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All conference fees are inclusive of VAT

Ticket type

Member

Early Bird

Member

Non-Member

Early Bird

Non-Member
One-day £62.40 £78 £81.60 £102
Two-day £96.00 £120 £115.20 £144
Concession* NA £50 NA £70

*Concessions: are available to those whose only household income is from state benefits or students registered with a further or higher education institute and studying a full time, part time or distance course.

Early bird registration ends on the 11 Sept 2021

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When
22 Nov 2021 9:00am to 23 Nov 2021 4:30pm
Location
ONLINE EVENT - MS Teams
Event Fee(s)
RJC Member | One-day (inclusive of VAT) £78.00
RJC Member | Two-day (inclusive of VAT) £120.00
RJC Member | Concession (inclusive of VAT) £50.00
Non-Member | One-day (inclusive of VAT) £102.00
Non-Member | Two-day (inclusive of VAT) £144.00
Non-Member | Concession (inclusive of VAT) £70.00