S.O.R.I at HMP SHREWSBURY
What is S.O.R.I?
S.O.R.I is the name given to an offender based Restorative Justice course. First developed by HMP Cardiff, it is now being piloted in six prisons including HMP Shrewsbury.
S.O.R.I uses best practice guidelines to bring victims of crime, offenders and community members into personal contact with the intention of repairing emotional and physical harm.
How does it work?
SORI courses are run 4/5 times a year in the prison, each course being a full week and comprising 6 - 10 participants and at least 5 facilitators. All prisoners attend the course voluntarily - no reports are written and completion of the course does not affect their sentence.
The facilitator team is multi agency comprising members from inside and outside the prison including Victim Support and Probation Victim Liaison.
On the Thursday afternoon of each course, victims of crime and community members meet prisoners on the course who are offered the opportunity to publicly acknowledge the impact of their crimes and make reparation.
What difference does S.O.R.I. make?
- S.O.R.I. provides an opportunity for victims to deal with the impact of crime on their lives, and to gain closure on difficult experiences. Through dialogue with prisoners on the Thursday afternoon they can gain understanding and insight into the causes of crime and offending behaviour.
- S.O.R.I. helps prisoners to understand the extent of the harm they have caused, take responsibility and confront their offending behaviour, It offers them an opportunity to make reparation and move forward with their lives.
- S.O.R.I. enables communitymembers to feel included in the criminal justice process. It increases their confidence in the Criminal Justice System and helps reduce the fear of harm in local communities.
Becoming more involved:
If you are interested in knowing more about SORI or Restorative Justice, or would like to attend the community presentation on the Thursday afternoon of a SORI course, we would love to hear from you. Please contact:
Rev David Farley
Restorative Justice Coordinator
HMP Shrewsbury, The Dana, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HR
Tel. (01743) 273125
Contact david.farley@hmps.gsi.gov.uk