According to the UK Green Party website the Green Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:
CJ330 The community’s first response to a crime is to offer support and services to victims.
CJ331 All accused who admit the offence or are convicted would immediately be provided with an opportunity to offer reparation to the victim(s). Local victim/offender mediation services could convey such offers to victims, in liaison with victim support, and negotiate between the two parties, offering the chance of a direct meeting – in the immediate future or later on – if the victim would like to have the opportunity.
CJ332 It is important to note that the process of mediation and reparation does not put all the onus on the offender. It is a mutual process: the community has a responsibility to provide adequate and well-staffed support facilities.
CJ333 Where offences have no identifiable victim, or where the victim does not wish to take part, offenders may still be offered mediation, but in this case with victims whose offenders have not been apprehended or with community representatives.
CJ334 Reparation might take various forms directly to the victim, if the latter wanted it, or in service or payment to the community; or it might include taking part in a programme that would encourage the offender to avoid offending again, such as vocational training, counselling, therapy, problem solving and other ways of overcoming disadvantage; or it might be a combination of these different forms of reparation.
CJ335 For less serious crimes which have little effect except on those personally involved, the Prosecution Service (CPS) would use its discretion not to prosecute if adequate compensation had been agreed or to suspend prosecution conditionally on the offenders carrying out agreed reparation.
CJ336 For serious offences where the offender is regarded as a danger to society, or others are affected (for example because they fear they may become the next victims), a personal settlement is not enough. Serious offences require a public denunciation, and these cases would be brought to Court by the prosecution.
CJ337 Where the offender pleaded guilty or was found guilty, the court would
a) review any reparation already made and decide whether more was required in view of the seriousness of the offence;
b) consider any other suitable non-custodial options, e.g. probation or assistance with relocation;
c) subject to the offenders consent, arrange treatment or counselling;
d) if the offenders past behaviour or the offence were so serious as to indicate a grave danger to society, and there was a serious risk of repetition, order restrictions or detention.
CJ338 The Green Party will consider the possibility of supplementing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme with a publicly funded safety-net compensation scheme in the case of property crimes where the victims cannot afford insurance and are dependent on Basic Income (EC730) or benefits, and where the offender has not the means to make full financial reparation, or where no offender has been convicted.
I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Green Party’s The Justice Process policies in the comments below?