In 2011, PMS, the Probation and Mediation Service of the Czech Republic, started an EU-funded project Restorative Justice – Victim Support and Counseling, together with the Association of Citizen Advice Centers and London Probation Trust. The project aimed to gradually develop functional network of services for victims in the Czech Republic.

One of the central questions addressed in the project was how to integrate Restorative Justice and Victim Support in probation practice. As a deliverable of the project, a Best Practice Manual was compiled. The manual, realized by the end of 2012, gives an overview of (restorative) principles in work with victims of crime in a probation setting. According to Director of PMS Pavel Stern, it is meant ‘to be a guideline for all those who share the belief in restorative justice principles and who are open to new ways of work in the field of probation. This Manual could help Probation services in Europe, to change the focus of their work from the format – “everything for the offender”, into format “Offender and Victim are part of the same story”’.

The Manual, which also gives a description of the project, can be downloaded here.

For more information on the project or the manual, please contact PMS at posta@pms.justice.cz