Restorative Justice in Belgian Prisons

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Restorative Justice in Belgian Prisons

• Karolien Mariën
• European Forum for Restorative Justice
• www.euforumrj.org

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Introduction

• Belgian prison system in general
• Origin of restorative justice in Belgian prisons
• Tasks and activities of the restorative justice
  advisers
• Difficulties and things to keep in mind
• Current developments

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Belgian prison system

• 10.348 inmates (9.944 man and 404 woman)
• 31 prisons
• 3 types of prisons
• Closed
• Half open
• Open

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The origin

• 1996 Minister S. De Clerck
• 1998 2000 Action-research
• 2000 Decision of federal government 1
  restorative justice adviser in each prison
• Policy level
• Circular letter of 4 October 2000

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Tasks and Activities of the RJ Advisers

• Circular letter of 4 October 2000
• Context at that time
• Informing people who and how?

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Tasks and Activities of the RJ Advisers

• First activities
• Information sessions civil party
• Consequences for victims
• Compensation fund
• Policy level
• Cooperation was set up
• Procedure civil party

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Difficulties and things to keep in mind

• Inform everyone (surplus value)
• Be aware of the fact that the context is defining
• Balance between victim and offender
• Difficult to involve people from the outside
  world
• Participation of inmates (obligation??)

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Current Developments

• In stead of one restorative justice adviser one
  person of the management who is responsible for
  restorative justice
• Restorative justice just one of the tasks
• What will this mean in practice?

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• More information
• karolien_at_euforumrj.org
• www.euforumrj.org