I'm for putting a lot more resources into crime prevention and restorative justice processes, whatever the crime but in particular violent crime.Government is due to announce new measures to tackle knife crime next week. Use of restorative justice processes has increased in recent yrs though they very often still not available as an option in many situations. They are pretty popular with victims of crime and they work (see http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/for more).
We need to get people who commit knife/gun crime to confront reality, realise what they have done to all those who've suffered due to their actions. Where appropriate get them meeting face to face with victims, their families and others in communities who've suffered.
Get them to take compensatory action as far as is possible, as part of their sentence. It might sometimes be appropriate to get them working with teachers and pupils in schools or talking with key groups in communities. Its the beginning to positive change in the criminal and it can help victims and communities .
Its wrong-doing on a different level of course, but whilst teaching I've seen a lot of success with this kind of approach applied to bullying in schools.
A kind of local community level restorative justice project was being initiated in Knowle West this yr but with the loss of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, money for it may be in short supply now.
