2014
Dr Anni Raw, a researcher and evaluator, gathered together all the evidence for RESTORE that was in existence to refine the articulation of the model. This work was supported by pro bono consultancy from CLINKS and New Philanthropy Capital. The result was our Theory of Change.
The narrative can be seen here and the chart showing the various elements is here.
2013
We’ve carried out extensive work at Ashfield Young Offenders Institute in Bristol where, with funding from the Home Office’s Communities Against Gangs, Guns and Knives Fund, we were able to embed the work into the fabric of the prison. In a report of this work programme by cultural scientist Christian Straub, a member of the prison staff described RESTORE as “very powerful” because it “delivered a strong message gently”.
Click here to read the full report.
2012
Our work has consistently demonstrated a shift in offenders’ motivation to change. To back this up we commissioned an independent evaluation of RESTORE from the Forensic Psychological Services at Middlesex University. The evaluation (published in 2012) concludes that the intervention has an impact on recidivism and that those who completed our programme had improved general attitudes to offending, were less likely to anticipate re-offending, and less likely to evaluate crime as worthwhile.
You can read the summary of the evaluation here and the full report here.
2009
In 2009, Lois Edmund, Ph.D., C.Psych., Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution Studies The University of Winnipeg conducted a qualitative assessment based on the first 18 months of The Forgiveness Project’s operations in prison. The report concluded that RESTORE ‘results in dramatic insight for many participants’, but ‘further work is needed to evaluate the long-term learnings of the participants’.
You can read the activity report here.