Restorative justice and community service as a sanction

Project description

This project was jointly developed with the Department of Community Service and was designed to deliver a three modular training to twenty staff of the department. The three modules titled Restorative Justice, Correctional Approaches and Training of Trainers on Community Service were delivered within a period of four months, producing the following results:

• A theoretical framework and lessons learned, which could be implemented directly, such as the development and distribution of a client charter, a peer support system, streamlining victim support in community service;
• Enhancement of staff skills in organisational aspects, such as development of strategies to engage stakeholders, personal development plan and action plan and Standard Operating Procedures for core tasks of the Department of Community Service;
• Discussions with the stakeholders within the justice sector on how to coordinate in carrying out community service orders.

The TMT has also facilitated the preparation of the Department of Community Service to transform into a Directorate. This entails  the Department will expand in the number of staff, restructure and establish regional offices attached to each court. All these changes will need recruitment and standard procedures, training and development plans to be in place.