Restorative Practices in Institutional Settings: The Challenges of Contractualised Support within the Managed Community of Supported Housing

Jon Hobson, Brian Payne, Kenny Lynch, Darren Hyde

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
67 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Supported housing services provide help to some of the most vulnerable in society, yet across the world face increasing pressures from residualisation in the form of service reduction and stretched budgets. In response to these challenges, providers of supported housing and other similar community-focused services have sought alternative and innovative methods of engagement. This paper reports on one such example, the Restorative Communities Programme, which took place in 2018 in a residential supported housing setting for males aged 16–25. Designed as a five-week programme, it aimed to offer a proactive intervention promoting the benefits of restorative thinking. The research team observed the sessions and conducted follow-up qualitative interviews after two weeks and one year. This paper considers the challenges and success of the programme, reflecting particularly on issues of contractualised support and its impact on participation, and the dynamics of running such programs within the ‘managed community’ of a supported housing project. As such, the paper provides a useful analysis for others exploring the development and use of restorative projects in institutional settings, such as prisons, probation, and schools, and particularly those services struggling with the pressures of residualisation.
Original languageEnglish
Article number60
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalLaws
Volume10
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 25 Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Restorative justice
  • Restorative Practices
  • Supported housing
  • Criminal Justice
  • Community
  • Institutional Settings
  • Residualisation

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