Green Party justice spokesperson Nandor Tanczos today congratulated the Government for a $5 million package that will give victims of crime the option of restorative justice.

Mr Tanczos said the funding for more pilot projects and expansion of community-managed restorative justice systems was good news for victims of crime, offenders and the whole community.

"Finally we are seeing the start of an approach to the justice system which is committed as much to reducing crime as it is to punishing offenders," said Mr Tanczos.

"Restorative justice is not a soft option for criminals. It involves offenders facing up to the victims of crime as well as the consequences of their offending. It is all about offenders taking responsibility for their actions and giving the victims a much bigger role in the punishment process."

Mr Tanczos said today's funding for restorative justice programmes was a good start and that he hoped to see much more money going into these projects in following budgets.

"The Greens are committed to restorative justice because we know it works," he said. "For too long now victims of crime have been shut out of the judicial process and the crime becomes one against the Crown instead of a person, with victims relegated to the role of a witness."

Mr Tanczos said the whole justice system needed to be overhauled as it did not reduce the crime rate or re-offending.

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Nandor Tanczos MP: 025 246 5235 Jonathan Hill (press secretary): 04 470 6719, 021 110 1133

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