Reformed criminals speak out for justice

The Chief Constable of Durham Police, Mike Barton with two former offenders, Shaun Morton (left) and Dave Clark (centre) who have turned their lives around due to the Restorative Justice program, at Durham Police HQ, Durham on Monday.

As part of the Ministry of Justice’s Restorative Justice Week, former prolific offender Shaun Morton, from Peterlee, was at Durham Police’s headquarters, in Aykley Heads, to talk about his life.

Shaun has numerous convictions for burglary, but has since met the victims of his crimes.

The latest restorative justice campaign is designed to encourage people to think about whether they would meet somebody who committed a crime against them by asking the question “What would you do?”.

Statistics show that the measure forces offenders to face up to the impact of their behaviour and can reduce the frequency of re-offending by 14 per cent, while 85 per cent of victims that take part in the programme are satisfied with the process.

Durham Police’s chief constable Mike Barton said: “I am delighted that we in Durham are giving victims a choice by giving victims a voice.

“I think it is very important that ex-offenders have come in today to tell their stories.

“This is about both the person who has been harmed and the person doing the harm.”