Restorative justice is one of the most powerful - and least understood - parts of the justice system. Proven to satisfy victims and slash reoffending, it’s justice that’s shaped around the needs of those involved, creating space for accountability, repair, and understanding. Sounds ideal…so why is it so underutilised?

In this episode we unpack restorative justice - what it is, how it works, and why it can be so hard to access. Joining us are Paul Kohler, Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon and a victim of violent crime who pursued restorative justice in search of answers, and Lucy Jaffe, a justice consultant and leading restorative justice advocate. We discuss what restorative justice looks like in practice, why so few people know about it, and policy proposals aiming to expand access.

Paul Kohler MP @PaulKohlerSW19

MP and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland).

Read more about Paul’s parliamentary advocacy for restorative justice: https://www.paulkohler.uk/news/article/paul-kohler-mp-pushes-prime-minister-to-invest-in-restorative-justice

And see his amendment to the Victims and Courts bill (in conjunction with Why me? and Calm Mediation) here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3968/stages/20032/amendments/10027822

Lucy Jaffe

Former director of Why me?, current board member of the European Forum of Restorative Justice and restorative practitioner.

Read Lucy’s article about how campaigners are shaping restorative justice policy here: https://www.euforumrj.org/putting-restorative-justice-centre-stage-how-uk-campaigners-are-shaping-policy

Further Resources

Find out how to access restorative justice services here: https://why-me.org/our-work/do-you-want-restorative-justice/

Read more about the restorative justice amendment submitted to the Victims and Courts Bill: https://why-me.org/2025/restorative-justice-amendment-tabled-in-the-house-of-commons/

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@TransformJust1⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

2025 was a busy year in justice policy. In this episode, Penelope and Rob reflect on the reforms, debates and missed opportunities that shaped the past year then look ahead to how current policy work and political priorities are likely to influence the justice landscape in 2026. We talk prisons, courts, criminal records and more.

Further Resources

Read David Gauke's Independent Sentencing Review, part 1: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c583a868a61757838d2196/independent-sentencing-review-part-1-report.pdf

Read David Gauke's Independent Sentencing Review, part 2: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/682d8d995ba51be7c0f45371/independent-sentencing-review-report-part_2.pdf

Read the Leveson Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686be85d81dd8f70f5de3c1f/35.49_MOJ_Ind_Review_Criminal_Courts_v8b_FINAL_WEB.pdf

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠⁠@TransformJust1⁠

⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Sharing a cell built for one, fearing for your safety, and freezing through the winter—are these really the right conditions for rehabilitation? In this episode, our hosts are joined by Andi Brierley, Senior Lecturer at Leeds Trinity University, and Andrea Coomber, CEO of the Howard League. They discuss what prison life looks like today, whether our prisons doing more harm than good, and what people truly need to move away from offending. Spoiler: it’s not being locked in a cell for 22 hours a day.

Andi Brierley

Find Andi's memoir here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Honour-Can-Tell-Story/dp/1909976644

Andrea Coomber

Read more about The Howard League's concerns: https://howardleague.org/why-are-prisons-overcrowded/

Further Resources

Read the Justice Select Committee report: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8678/rehabilitation-and-resettlement-ending-the-cycle-of-reoffending/

Read host Rob's latest podcast on prison population projections: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/12/courting-trouble.html

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠@TransformJust1

⁠BlueSky: ⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.