ABSTRACT
At the time victims and offenders were approached to see if they would like to participate in restorative justice, almost none had previously heard of the concept. For REMEDI, for example, just five respondents to pre-mediation questionnaires (out of 207 returned questionnaires) had heard of ‘mediation’ before being asked to participate (Shapland et al. 2006a). The process of preparation is therefore key, so that participants are aware of what will happen during the restorative justice event itself and can give informed consent to participation. Preparation – facilitators talking with victims and offenders about what the scheme offers and what may happen – will also set up expectations about restorative justice. It is those expectations which will govern participants’ subsequent reactions to what they experience. In this chapter, we explore the process of participation and participants’ expectations.
