Why me?

Who we are

Why me? is a national charity that promotes Restorative Justice for everyone affected by crime and conflict.

Many victims of crime feel sidelined by the criminal justice process. Restorative Justice gives them the chance to ask questions about the incident, explain the impact that it had on them, and have a say in how the harm can be repaired. This restorative dialogue transforms lives by helping people affected by crime to recover, and helping people who commit crime to stop. 

Our culture and values

Our work aims to increase access to Restorative Justice for people affected by crime and conflict in England and Wales.

We do this by celebrating good practice, highlighting gaps, doing our own research and through working with practitioners and decision makers. We work with police, probation services, restorative providers, community groups and others to improve understanding and access to Restorative Justice. We also lobby the Government to make policy changes which will unlock this opportunity for more people affected by crime. 

All victims of crime are entitled to information about Restorative Justice under the Victims’ Code of Practice. But only 5.5% of victims with a known offender recall being given this information. This needs to change. We would like to see Restorative Justice used increasingly in Out of Court Disposals and Youth Referral Orders, as they offer opportunities to avoid lengthy and sometimes traumatising court processes, and give people a chance to make amends following a crime. And we want Restorative Justice to be an option which everyone affected by crime has the opportunity to consider for themselves. This would improve the experience of people affected by crime in the UK, and benefit the Criminal Justice System.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Why me? aims to embed equality in everything that we do. We strive to be a diverse organisation in which everyone is valued for their individuality.

We are committed to the elimination of discrimination, harassment and victimisation and the promotion of equality for persons with any of the protected characteristics in our practices and arrangements and through the work of the Board of trustees, staff and volunteers.  

In order to achieve this, we:

- promote the development of a workplace environment for all staff and volunteers to develop their full potential,

- ensure that all staff, volunteers, contractors and visitors to Why me? are treated fairly, without discrimination, harassment or victimisation,

- monitor our practices and arrangements in order to ensure our commitment is fulfilled.