“We Are a Sounding Board”: The Role of Community Volunteers in a Restorative Justice Program

Abstract

Incorporating community volunteers in restorative justice programmes is a prevalent practise that offers various benefits. However, despite these programmes' extensive reliance on volunteers, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the roles they play. The aim of this study was to address this gap by examining how stakeholders and participants in Circles of Peace, a restorative justice programme for domestic violence, perceived the role of community volunteers. To underpin this examination, the Communities of Practise theoretical framework was used. Multiple interviews were conducted with 16 circle participants and stakeholders, in the form of individual interviews and in focus groups and were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Three themes emerged from the participants' narratives: (1) Representation roles; (2) Support and nurture roles; and (3) Reintegration roles. The findings suggest that volunteers in the Circles of Peace programme play multifaceted roles that extend beyond traditional support functions. These roles can potentially have a profound impact on the experiences of the circle participants, highlighting the practical implications of our research for the design and implementation of restorative justice programs.